Lineage II: Dreams
by writerchic16
Summary: Lately, Jack has been having the strangest dreams about medieval knights. But that's nothing compared to how strange his sister...and even his mother...have been acting.
1. Chapter 1

**Lineage II: Dreams **

Summary: Lately, Jack has been having the strangest daydreams. But that's nothing compared to how strange his sister...and even his mother...have been acting.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

As his thumbs repeatedly hit the buttons on the PlayStation controller, Jack shouted, "Fear me, you evil skeleton dudes!" However, the MediEvil skeletons on the living room television screen didn't seem to listen, and they converged on the game's main knight character. He was killed in about two seconds. Disappointed, Jack sighed while he handed over the controller. "Your turn, Clu."

"Yes, finally!" Clu cheered as he took the controller, and after reanimating the character, continued where Jack had left off.

Jack sat on the couch and watched in silence at first, the only sound in the Phillips' living room the repetitive click of the controller button. It was soon broken when Carey came down the stairs with Molly's guitar in hand. "Hey guys, you mind if I hang out and practice? We're recording tomorrow."

"Sure. I was getting sick of this music anyway," Jack said as he grabbed the remote and lowered the volume. "What song?" he asked. Ever since they got back from visiting his grandparents, his mother had resumed recording her album full steam ahead, with recording or rehearsing sessions almost every day. Everyone was a little worried that something was bothering her, including Jack, but since they had no idea what it could be, they pretended to believe her insistence that she was just excited about the project. Of course, that hadn't stopped Jack from asking numerous times, both because he was worried, and because not knowing was driving him nuts.

Well, there was not knowing, and his family's odd behavior around him. They kept asking him if he was "okay" at the end of every conversation. It was more than a little annoying.

"'Another World,'" Carey answered, then proceeded to play the first few notes of said song. "Molly wants to redo it for the album."

Surprised, Jack raised an eyebrow. He knew that was an emotional song for his mother, so she probably had a specific reason for including it. "Did she say why?"

Carey shrugged. "You know your mother, she's not one to volunteer personal info. My mom asked her about it, but all Molly said was that she'd 'reconnected' with it recently and wanted to bring it back."

_Reconnected? What the heck is that supposed to mean?_ Jack wondered, even more frustrated. "I...I just don't _get_ her. Something big obviously happened to her when we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and she knows I'm worried. Why can't she just _tell_ me? I mean, I _am_ her son. She must know how worried I am, right?"

"Jack, just chill, will you?" Clu replied, his concentration on the game while he spoke. "She'll tell you when she wants to tell you. And if she doesn't, maybe you don't want to know."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Jack said with a groan of aggravation as he flopped down on the couch. He'd been quickly reminded of when his grandfather said the same thing of Grandma's history with witchcraft.

As he played various chords of the song, Carey nonchalantly suggested, "Because you don't exactly listen to information you don't want to hear."

"So you're saying I'm narrow-minded," Jack snapped, slightly more anger in his voice than he intended. That anger only spiked when Carey and Clu gave him incredulous looks, eyebrows raised. Clu had even paused the game to do so. "That's not a bad thing," Jack argued, when he admitted to himself that they he couldn't argue he wasn't. "It means I have my own ideas and stick by them."

The game forgotten for the moment, Clu shook his head and sat on Jack's other side. "Yeah, but dude...you have to be at least a little flexible. Do you just want your family not to tell you stuff because they don't want to upset you? You'll never be let in on anything!"

"Look, it's not like I do it on purpose, I just...it just makes me mad," Jack confessed. He felt odd speaking aloud about his feelings, as it rarely happened. "It's usually something totally ridiculous, and I get mad that they can't see reason. Well, I shouldn't even say 'they,' it's always Fi." He then paused when he realized what he said. "So why would _Mom_ be keeping this to herself..unless...oh no," he said as he put his head in his hands.

Confused, Carey asked, "Wait...what? Did we miss something?"

Jack lifted his head up again, which was filled with racing thoughts. "Yeah. Like everyone's been saying, I'm _sure_ something happened to Mom when we were at Grandma and Grandpa's. But I think that something might have been...'paranormal,'" he said with air quotes around the last word. He then let out a deep, dejected sigh. "I think she believes."

Almost in unison, Carey and Clu's jaws dropped. "No way!" Clu exclaimed, a hint of amusement in his words. "Mrs. P and Fi fight like crazy over that! She wouldn't just give in!"

In shock, Carey nodded. "Yeah, I mean, this is Molly we're talking about. Clu and I will usually go along with Fi, because she's our friend. But Fi's paranormal stuff has always been a big issue for them - Molly's always really upset whenever Fi is off on those weird adventures she has. Clu's right, there's no way Molly just put that all aside and finally caved."

But Jack was shaking his head. He couldn't forget how distressed his mother had looked during an intense conversation about the subject. "No, you guys, you just didn't see her... When we were at Grandma and Grandpa's, Mom was a nervous wreck one day. I asked her what was up, and...she said she was tired of fighting it. She even said that she'd 'seen so many things' and, basically, can't go on pretending they didn't happen."

"Whoa," Clu whispered. He had a faraway look on his face, as if trying to pair the words with the Molly he knew. Jack had to admit he'd have done the same if he hadn't witness the words come out of his mother's mouth.

Carey slowly leaned back on the couch, the guitar still in his lap. "What...what do you think happened? It had to be _huge_."

"That's the part she's not telling me," Jack answered, then confessed, "Okay, I know I won't believe it. But I'd still like to be told, you know?"

His hands folded under his chin in thought, Clu remarked, "This is really weird, dude. So, like, whenever Fi has a paranormal encounter...Mrs. P will actually _believe_ her."

Jack's eyes widened. He hadn't really thought about the implications of his mother's new-found beliefs...the fact that she had them was enough to keep his mind busy. But Clu had a good point. His family's dynamics had severely changed. "Oh my God," he groaned. "This is going to be _nuts_."

"You'll be okay, man," Carey said with a reassuring pat on his friend's shoulder. "Just hang in there, and try not to cause too much trouble." When Jack glared at him, Carey grinned back as he returned to the guitar. Clu then remembered his game, picked up the controller, and resumed playing.

Overwhelmed with various emotions like dread and confusion, Jack found himself sinking into the couch cushion, his eyes closing. The melody of "Another World" caused him to drift off...

_The old English manor stood in a meadow, no other buildings around for many miles. A base made of dark stone supported brick walls and a thatched roof. It was L-shaped, the door in the corner, but prominent enough that it could easily be seen. While the roof might need some repair, the house was in good condition, and he knew it was already furnished._

_This was his new home._

A loud mistake in Carey's guitar playing caused Jack's eyes to fly open as his body jerked in reaction to being so suddenly woken. A guilty look on his face, Carey said, "Sorry, man. You okay?"

"Huh?" Jack replied as he shook his head. When Carey gave him a concerned look, Jack tried to smile in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "I'm okay. Just had a weird dream."

* * *

The guys decided they were getting hungry, so the brothers sent Jack in to check on dinner's progress. He walked in to the kitchen to find his mother and Irene seated at the island, date books open in front of them, two steaming mugs of tea nearby. Confused, Jack asked, "So I'm guessing dinner's done?"

"Almost, baby. The lasagna's just about ready to come out of the oven," Molly said with a quick glance at the digital clock on the counter. "You guys getting hungry in there?" When Jack nodded, she pointed to the toasted bread slices on a plate next to them. "Help yourself."

Jack took a seat at the island across from his mother and took one of the slices, happy to find that not only were they toasted, but also coated in olive oil. "Oh, fancy," he remarked, then glanced at Irene. "You and Mr. B take a cooking class while we were gone or something? We usually just order out on the weekends."

"We went to this new Italian restaurant," Irene explained, her eyes still on her date book. "Made me in the mood for my mother's lasagna. Won't come out like hers, of course, but I'm crossing my fingers that it'll at least come out edible."

The other two laughed, but Molly quickly went back to her own planner. "Okay, so we start 'Another World' tomorrow. We should be finished with that one by Tuesday, so we can start on 'She Sells' by Wednesday...actually we might be able to squeeze in a third song..."

"Whoa, hold on there," Irene replied, concern on her face. "You've got other stuff to do this week, like five radio shows, and an appearance on _Wake Up, Colorado_. We can afford to slow down a little."

But Molly stubbornly shook her head. "No, Irene, I already told you that I don't want to slow down. I need to be distracted right now."

At that, Jack and Irene exchanged worried glances while Molly kept her eyes down, silently asking each other who should jump on the issue first. Jack volunteered. "About that," he began. "You keep asking me if _I'm_ okay, but we're all really concerned about _you_. What's going on?"

"He's right, Mol. We're all wondering...did something happen? Because you can talk about it with us," Irene added, anxiety in her voice.

His mother finally lifted her eyes from the planner, and noticed their troubled expressions. "I'll be fine," she insisted. Molly patted each of their hands in reassurance, through the gesture only served to irritate them more. "Look, I'm sorry, but...I can't explain it. Just know that I'm going through something and I'll eventually be alright."

In Jack's mind, her words only confirmed his fears. "Oh my God, Fi got to you."

"What? Jack, what are you talking about?" Irene demanded.

But as far as he was concerned, Irene might as well not even be in the room. "You believe," he accused. "It's like I thought. You believe in the paranormal." He thought he heard Irene gasp, but he continued with his angry rant. "That conversation we had, that wasn't just a moment of confusion, was it? Someway, somehow, Fi finally wore you down, and now you're just like her, and Dad."

"Jack, I am _not_ like..." Molly trailed off as the phone rang At first it seemed like she was going to ignore it, but then said with a sigh, "And that's probably Fi calling to say if she'll be home from Candy's in time for dinner." She narrowed her eyes at her son. "We'll continue this later."

And she stormed out of the room.

But Jack couldn't care less. His own fury made him smack the counter so hard that the plate of bread shook. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath.

It all just frustrated the hell out of him. This paranormal crap was like a disease that was slowly infecting his whole family. Why couldn't they see that these beings and powers they believed in were all a bunch of ancient make-believe that didn't belong in modern times? _He_ understood that perfectly well, as did almost everyone else on the planet. Of course _his_ family had to be different.

"Jack?"

The quiet inquiry broke through his thoughts. He blinked, as if he'd come out of a trance, and focused enough to see Irene stare at him. "Jack?" she repeated quietly. A trace of fear had mixed with her already-present worry. "What in the world is going on?"

"You.." He began, then couldn't help but shake his head at the irony. "You really don't want to know."

* * *

"So you'll be home in about ten minutes then?" Molly asked into the cordless phone. She began walking around the dining room, unable to sit down after the unexpected confrontation with her son. As she had predicted, Fi was on the phone. The teen had gone to spend some quality time with her best friend, since Fi hadn't seen Candy much between the tour's end and their trips to see relatives.

_"Of course. Would I really miss a night when someone actually cooked?"_

Molly chuckled. "Very funny. Though I have to warn you, I can't remember the last time I've seen Irene make anything, so who knows how it will come out." After a quick check to make sure no one was coming, she became serious as she asked, "Can you talk for a minute? I want to tell you something now in case I forget later."

_"Um, sure. I went into a different room to make this call anyway. What's up?"_

Paranoid, Molly glanced at the open doorway again. Though the coast was clear, she still whispered, "My ring glowed. When I patted Jack's hand. He didn't notice, but I saw it."

_"Uh oh. My ring glowed too, yesterday morning when I was trying to get the remote from him."_

"What are we going to do?" Molly asked, not above asking her daughter's input. After all, Fi was the expert in on the subject, while Molly had almost no experience at all. "I mean, I haven't seen anything different about his behavior, no signs of premonitions...maybe they were false alarms, or they glowed for another reason."

Fi sounded doubtful in her response._ "Twice? I don't know about that. I say we keep a _very_ close eye on him from now on, even more so than we already have. Maybe this is a sign that his visions are going to start up."_

Her stomach uneasy at the thought, Molly finally sat down in one of the dining room chairs. Just the thought of having to talk with her son about any aspect of the paranormal made her nervous. "And then what? Ask him about them? You know this is going to be a nightmare."

_"Hey, I had to go through it, now it's your turn_," Fi joked. _"Besides, I have a feeling we won't even have a chance to register what's happening. He'll probably start having visions so often that it will all come out in one big rush."_

"I don't know about that...he still has his shield up, doesn't he?" Molly reminded her. "Maybe he'll get some little visions but that will be it. He doesn't have full access to his power like we do." At her words, for a brief second Molly closed her eyes in disbelief that she'd actually said them. She'd come a long way in a very short amount of time.

_"That's true. We'll probably have to ask Grandma about that one, because I don't know too much about magic either. My specialty is more things that go bump in the night."_

The reply made increased Molly's anxiety. Going into this, she had presumed she would at least have her daughter as her guide. But she shook off the concern for the moment. In a pressing time like this one, she had to ignore what she didn't know and focus on what she did. "I guess we will. Speaking of premonitions, have you had any since you saw your father?"

_"Not really. I get the odd sense of deja vu here and there but nothing major. You?"_

"Nothing," Molly replied, somewhat relieved that there was no impending disaster they had to worry about...that they knew of, anyway. "But I'm still worried about the demon. He's still out there, and he _is_ going to attack again. I can feel that much."

_"Me too, we definitely have to be on the look out. We have to start practicing battle spells this week."_

Though she wasn't looking forward to it, Molly understood how important practice would be for when they had to do battle. Her daughter was counting her help. "Fine. But we'll have to figure out a way to get some time to ourselves. I'll be busy with recording and interviews this week."

Guilt crept up the second the words were out of her mouth. She knew she could be slowing down, as Irene had said, but at this confusing point in her life, she couldn't deal with any free time. The last thing she wanted was to stop and think about her radical shift in beliefs.

_"But this is important too, Mom. Our lives are at stake here. Sorry to be so dramatic, but in this case it's true."_

"I know, baby. And I'm sorry," Molly replied, a genuine apologetic note to her voice. "But you have to realize that I'm still..."

_"Adjusting, right. I'm sorry too. It's just hard to remember that sometimes when we have conversations about the paranormal so much more easily now."_ There was a distant sound, and Fi explained,_ "I have to go, Candy's wondering what happened to me. Her dad is giving me a ride, so I'll be home in about ten, maybe fifteen minutes."_

"See you then," Molly replied, then hung up the phone.

Amazed, she realized that her daughter had a valid point. She couldn't expect Fi to control her enthusiasm around her, when Molly was the only one she could talk with about this. To Fi, it must feel like a gate has been opened, to another way of resolving her pressing supernatural problems. But in turn, Molly had been feeling like the outsider lately, the one dealing with everything to herself because she knew no one else would believe her.

She had to wonder how long that would last when Jack started having visions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Her string bag over her shoulder, Fi opened the door of Candy's father's car. "Thanks for the ride, Mr. Wilder," she said, then glanced over her shoulder at her best friend in the passenger seat. "See you, Candy. Good luck on your test tomorrow."

"I'll need it," Candy said with a sigh. "I can't wait until you're in school next semester. It will be much more tolerable then."

Fi laughed as she climbed out of the car and shut the door behind her. While she waved good-bye, she couldn't help but be a little jealous of how _normal_ Candy was. Her best friend got to go to school, worry about tests...heck, her biggest concern was getting the attention of a cute boy in her class. They had spent the day picking out what Candy would wear to school for the whole week. After, Fi had given her a manicure _and_ a pedicure, in the rare event that the early-October weather warmed up enough for Candy to wear sandals.

The day had been the most fun Fi had in a long time, and probably would have for a while. Thanks to her new identity as a witch, who had a demon after her, she had to cherish the times when she could actually relax. Even at Candy's house, though, she'd had her back up, tense as she wondered if a demon would attack in the presence of an innocent human.

Of course, as her best friend, Candy sensed that there was something bothering Fi. Usually, Fi had no problems telling Candy about whatever supernatural problem she was having at the moment. But this one just felt...different, like it wasn't simply another paranormal baddie that Candy would take with a grain of salt. It made sense, after all - telling her best friend that she was a witch seemed on a completely separate level than, for instance, dragging Candy to see a medium.

So Fi had brushed off her best friend's concerns and saved the secret for another day. She wasn't in any rush, since even _she_ needed _some_ normalcy in her life.

When she realized she was just standing there on the sidewalk, she quickly ran up the front walk to her house and let herself in. For a brief second, she wondered if it was so wise to leave the door unlocked at any time when evil was out to get her.

Then with a shiver, she reasoned that a demon wouldn't need to use a door.

"Hey, Fi," Carey called from the living room. He had her mother's guitar in his lap, and was strumming a few chords while Jack and Clu played some video game. He frowned when she jumped slightly, tense from her unnerving thoughts. "You okay?"

She made a concentrated effort to calm herself down and give him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, just...didn't see you there." Just to change the subject, she asked, "What are you doing with my mom's guitar?" She then winced as the words sounded like more of an accusation.

Still a little concerned, Carey thankfully chose to ignore the odd moment. "She said I could practice on it since I left mine at home. Dad's coming over with it now after doing some work on the bus." He then nodded at her string bag. "What's that for?"

"Makeover supplies for Candy," she explained She suddenly remembered the phone conversation she'd had with her mother on the phone. "Where's Mom and Irene? Kitchen?" The guys nodded their confirmation, so she headed in there to find two equally irritated women. "Hey...what's going on?"

Irene was glaring at Molly, hurt in her expression. But she shook her head. "Nothing. I'm going to...call Ned and see what's taking him so long. He probably can't find Carey's guitar." With that, she got up and left the kitchen.

Concerned, Fi glanced at her upset mother. "What happened?"

"It's nothing..." Molly began, but at her daughter's insistent look, sighed. "Irene's been worried about me. She's demanding to know what happened but...what am I going to tell her, that I found out I'm a witch? That still sounds ridiculous to _me_."

For once, Fi had no idea what to say. After all, she was sort of going through the same thing with Candy, who thankfully was a little less persistent than Irene seemed to be. "I don't know, Mom," she confessed. "I think we're just going to have to wait until the time is right. Because as much as we'd like to, we can't keep this secret forever."

Molly raised an eyebrow. "You still haven't told Candy? That doesn't seem like you."

"This whole witch thing...it's weird, even for me," Fi admitted. "I mean, I'm still getting used to it myself. But I told Candy I would share when I'm ready...maybe that will work for Irene."

Surprised by the unexpected answer, Molly stared at Fi for a second, then slowly nodded. "Maybe. Thanks, baby...when did you get so smart?" she joked as she gave her daughter a quick hug.

Fi grinned, but before she could reply, everything began to get wavy and black...

_Suddenly, she was in the kitchen again, but Jack and Clu were in there as well. The conversation was too low and distant for her to understand, but she could see clearly. She saw her mother hand Jack the finished lasagna, presumably to bring it into the dining room. But he didn't get a good grip on it. What happened next would have made Fi scream if she'd had control of her voice._

_The glass casserole dish fell out of his hands and crashed on the hard tile floor, and his left foot. Jack fell to the ground in pain as shards cut gashes into his skin..._

"Jack!" she shouted when she abruptly came back from the vision, filled with intense panic.

Alarmed, Molly put a steady hand on her daughter's shoulder and asked, "Fi, what happened? What did you see?"

"I saw..." she said as she gasped for air, her breath jagged. "I s-saw..."

But she didn't get a chance to share before, as predicted, Jack and Clu came into the room. Her eyes wide, she was in such shock that she could only watch as her vision unfolded before her.

"Is dinner ready yet, Mrs. P?" Clu asked. "Dad just got here, and we're all starving!"

Jack rubbed his stomach for emphasis and added, "Yeah, those few slices of bread didn't do much. Want me to take the lasagna in?"

"Sure. Thanks, baby," Molly replied. She gave Fi one last concerned glance before she reached for the finished lasagna, which was cooling on the stove.

"Mom, no!"

Everyone froze at Fi's petrified shriek. Startled, and a little annoyed, Jack replied, "Fi, it's okay, really. I think I can handle it." He then held out his hands for the casserole dish.

But Molly hesitated, her gaze still on her daughter. "What is it, Fi?" From the thoughtful look on her face, she was probably trying to figure out what Fi's strange behavior had to do with the vision.

"I-I'll..._I'll_ _take it,_" Fi stammered, sharp emphasis in her words as she held out her own hands.

Confused, Clu argued, "Are you sure Fi? I mean, it's probably a little heavy."

Fi shook her head, then said with the same meaningful emphasis, "It's okay, _I'll take it_."

Finally Molly seemed to catch on, and much to Jack's aggravation, handed the dish to Fi instead. Jack gave them both a bewildered look. "You two are weird," he muttered as he left the room, Clu right behind him.

Left alone, Molly gave her a questioning glance. After she'd made sure the dish was safe in her hands, she explained, "I just saw this dish fall and shatter on Jack's foot."

"Oh my God..." she said, scared by what could have been. Then reasoning seemed to take over her emotions. "That's strange, I've never had a vision like that before. The few times I've had them, I've only seen when someone's life is in danger."

Fi shrugged. "Maybe my power works differently." Her eyes then widened. "Or maybe you've been suppressing them for so long that only the really important ones got through."

After she nodded in agreement, Molly began to guide Fi toward the door. "Maybe, but we'll talk magical theories later. There are some hungry people waiting for food."

"Oh, yeah...and Clu was right, this thing is heavy," she said. With some effort, she managed to carry it safely to the dining room table, where the family finally sat down to dinner.

* * *

Later on that night, Jack and his family were saying their good-byes to the Bells, particularly Clu, who was going back to college in the morning. "Bye, Clu," Jack said as he patted the blonde on the back. "Remember to hit the books in between partying and playing video games once in a while."

"Same to you," Clu teased, then whispered, "That was a heads up, by the way. Dad said he's going to ask you for that report you've been putting off on Tuesday."

"Thanks, man," Jack said as he gave him a thumbs-up. Eventually the family was out the door, which Fi closed.

The three Phillips' awkwardly stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes purposely avoiding eye contact. "I...I think I've got some homework due tomorrow, so I'll just go check on that," Fi finally said as she dashed up the stairs.

_Chicken_, Jack thought. Though to be fair, the tension had been almost visible between him and his mother at dinner. He couldn't call Fi a coward for making a quick exit when he was going to do the same. "That reminds me, I think I have some..."

"Jack!" Molly snapped, though her voice wavered slightly. "We _have_ to talk, and you know it."

Only half-joking, Jack replied, "I know, I was hoping maybe you forgot."

She still gave him an unamused look over her shoulder as she led the way back to the kitchen, where she indicated he take a seat at the island. "So, do you really have homework to do?" she asked, clearly for the sake of conversation while she poured glasses of milk for them, to go along with the left-over chocolate chip cookies that were still on the counter.

"Yeah, kind of. I have a report to finish up before Tuesday," he replied, his light tone equally forced. Though he was far from hungry, he took the milk she offered and, when she'd put the plate of cookies in between them, and shoved one in his mouth.

Her brief moment of courage seemed to have vanished, she she took part in the procrastination as well by taking a _long_ sip of milk. She swallowed, finally, wiped her mouth, then reluctantly looked him in the eye. "I know neither of us want to have this talk. But we have to or else who knows how bad things could get between us."

Though tempted to make some kind of joke, he decided that would only make the horrible situation worse. "Yeah, I know," he agreed. "I just...don't know how we can do this without it ending up in a huge fight."

"Me neither," Molly admitted. "Let's just promise each other right now that we'll hear the other person out, and we'll keep our tempers in check."

The promise seemed like a good idea...in theory. Jack was sure it wouldn't work as well once the started talking. His earlier chat with the guys in mind, he reminded himself that he would also have to remind himself to be more flexible. "Fine, deal," he said. Then he let out a deep breath and jumped in. "So do you believe in the paranormal now?" He kept the accusation out of the question, or tried to, anyway.

Her gaze on her milk, she didn't reply right away, which he'd expected. "I-I...well...yes. But I'm not like Fi," Molly began. She'd purposely left out the "_or your dad_," but the missing phrase was so heavily implied that she might as well have said it. "I don't expect you to believe. I'm still adjusting myself, so trust me, I understand that it's unreasonable to ask that of you. And Jack, I swear, I'm still _me_. I don't jump to outrageous conclusions like Fi does. There's still a lot that I refuse to swallow. The only thing that's changed is that...I'll listen to her stories now. And, if there's enough proof...I'll believe her."

Unsure what to say, Jack crammed another cookie in his mouth to give himself time to think. Of course he was relieved that she hadn't _completely_ lost her mind, that she was practically still the same Mom he'd always known. But then, why was she giving in to Fi? It didn't seem fair to her that she had to go through this all because his sister didn't know the meaning of the phrase "back off." His cookie eaten, he replied, "But if you're only doing this so that you and Fi will stop fighting, that's -"

"No, that's not it at all," Molly assured him. "Please, don't be mad at her. I came to this decision on my own, really. I...I've seen too much, and I can't ignore it anymore."

Though, once again, he probably didn't want to know, he asked, "What have you seen?"

Surprised, Molly raised an eyebrow. "Why even bother asking me when you won't believe me?" she asked, more out of intrigue than anger.

"I don't know....morbid curiosity, I guess?" Jack replied, his arms crossed on the island counter. "It's just that, I _know_ something had to happen to make you 'cross over,' so to speak, and for some stupid reason I'm dying to know what it is."

Molly let out a soft chuckle. "Well...it wasn't any particular incident, it was more that I realized I wanted to support my daughter. I was thinking how frustrating it must be for her, so I...opened my mind a little." She then smirked at him. "It's not so bad, really."

"Well, good for you, but I'd like to hang on to my sanity while I can, thank you very much," he joked. When she laughed, he got off of his stool. "Are we done?"

"Yeah, I think we are," she said while she put the two empty glasses in the sink. Then she paused. "Wow, that wasn't half as painful as I thought it'd be."

Jack laughed, also amazed. "Yeah, no shouting match or anything. I think we're growing up."

After she'd chuckled again, she headed into the living room. "I'm going to practice some songs we're recording this week. You go do that report I'm sure you haven't started yet."

"Yes, Mom," Jack retorted while he began to head up the stairs. He paused mid-step when he noticed a sudden, serious look that came over her face, which she thought he couldn't see, as she picked up her guitar. _Odd_, he thought.

And then he made the mistake of wondering how much she'd kept from him during the talk that had gone so well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

She was a horrible mother.

It seemed to be Molly's new catchphrase, as those exact words had been repeating in her head, over and over, ever since the so-called "talk" with her son last night. Did it really qualify as a talk, when she'd basically lied through her teeth the whole time? Sure, in a way she supposed she'd told him things that were true, like that she would be more likely to believe Fiona from then on.

But she hadn't told him that his mother and sister were witches who had to fight a demon after them. And she figured he probably had a right to know that.

But she also figured that he would think her insane if she told him. The constant guilt since last night probably wouldn't go away in the near future, yet...she just couldn't do it. There was no point in causing so much chaos when he wouldn't believe her. Even if she did some kind of active spell right in front of him, knowing Jack, he'd make up an explanation for it. He'd believe in an unlikely set of circumstances before he believed in magic.

Not long ago, so would she. Oh, how she had changed. While she had only gone through this in about a week, she reasoned that it had actually been a _long_ time coming, ever since she was young.

The lyrics for "Another World" in her hands, she hummed it as she walked around the recording booth. They were between takes, and she was pretending to go over the song while she internally wallowed in her self-loathing. Of course she knew the entire song by heart. Some songs, she would occasionally forget the lyrics during recording. But not this one. "'Looking for another world,'" she sang softly. "'I'm not sure we should...'"

At the lyrics, she stopped her pacing and examined them. "Looking for another world," she repeated to herself. "I'm not sure we should." She had always known that the song was a partial reference to Rick's paranormal investigations. But...had these lyrics really been clues? Was that line itself talking about the Ora, the spirit world guardian demon who had been after him?

All of a sudden she felt the urge to read every lyric he had ever written. Who knew what other hidden clues she might be able to find now that she was looking for them?

"Molly?"

She whirled around to find that Irene had entered the booth. "Are we doing another take soon?"

"Yeah, in a few minutes," Irene replied as she walked in further, her arms crossed. She then gave Molly a hard look that also managed to appear concerned. "Are you okay? I know we kind of had a little...argument-type thing, but I had to ask since you seem to be extra-moody today."

Though she should've been irritated by the choice of words, Molly ignored it. After all, their current issues were her fault. "Jack and I talked last night," she explained.

"And I'm guessing it didn't go so well," Irene replied.

Basic instinct was screaming at her to say that it didn't and leave the conversation at that. But she also had a feeling that the clipped answer wouldn't help matters. So, she let out a deep breath, and dived in with her daughter's advice in mind. "It did," she said, which made Irene raise an eyebrow. "But...I'm hating myself, because I didn't tell him a lot of things I should have. Things I should also be telling you...and Ned...but I just can't because it's too hard for me right now."

Much to Molly's surprise, a tear slid down Irene's cheek. "Mol, I'm going to ask you this now, and I want a straight answer." She paused before asking, "Are you sick?"

"Sick? What..." Molly trailed off, not sure what she meant.

"As in, were you diagnosed with..." Irene trailed off, unable to even name a disease for fear that it would be true. "Because you have this secret and you won't tell us and I can only think it's because..."

"Oh my God, Irene, no! I'm perfectly healthy! I promise!" Molly exclaimed, horrified that Irene...and maybe everyone else...had been thinking such thoughts. She threw the lyrics to the side and wrapped her best friend in a reassuring hug. "Everything's fine, really! I'm not going anywhere!"

Irene let out a few more tears, this time of relief, and the two broke apart. Embarrassed, the manager wiped away those tears, and soon became angry again. "Then what the hell is going on with you?" she demanded. "I hope you know you have us all crazy with worry."

"Trust me, I know," Molly assured her as guilt she had been feeling tripled.

Her expression thoughtful, Irene tilted her head. "So then...was Jack right yesterday? About you..."

"In a way...yeah, he was," Molly confessed. "A lot happened when we went to visit my parents, Irene. And I'm still trying to convince myself that all of it happened. So when I do...I'll tell you about it."

"I honestly don't know whether I should be relieved, or more concerned," Irene replied, bewildered.

Molly chuckled, but before she could say something comforting, Irene and the room disappeared as she began to have a vision.

_In an instant, Rick was before her. But not like that time she had been seeing him instead of other people in the studio. Actually, she wasn't in the studio, but back home in the living room. He stood in front of the fireplace, and he was staring at her like she was actually there with him._

_"Molly!" he called. "Molly!"_

_But the room was getting wavy, his voice fading. He could sense it too, and the urgency in his voice grew. "Molly!" he repeated, and kept doing so until she couldn't see him anymore._

Startled, she came back to the present to find both Irene and Ned in front of her, Ned supporting her with his hand on her elbow. "Molly?" he asked. "Are you okay? You had this funny look on your face."

"I'm fine," she insisted. At Irene's doubtful look, she insisted, "Really! You know what it is? We've been in this studio for a few hours. I probably need some fresh air."

"Yeah. Come on out, and I'll get out a bottle of water," Ned offered and led the women out of the booth.

On their way out, Irene glanced at Molly. "You're really not sick?"

"Really. I swear. Cross my heart," Molly promised, then made the sign over her heart.

Irene smirked at the childish gesture. "If you say so. You will tell me eventually, right?"

"Right. Then you have the fun task of deciding if I'm crazy or not," Molly joked, which as expected, made Irene stare at her in confusion. Molly only responded with a cheeky grin before she took a long sip out of the water bottle Ned had passed to her.

* * *

Despite the successful talk with his mother the night before, Jack had been restless all day Monday, unable to focus on the history paper he _needed_ to finish writing. Jack was never one to pay attention to irrational feelings, but he couldn't shake off the one he'd been getting since the talk - that he and his mother hadn't really solved anything. Logically, he should be relieved that nothing changed except that his mother would be more willing to listen to Fi, which had to be the compromise from all of their fights. But...there was this unsettling, nagging sense in the pit of his stomach that it was only the placating calm before the building storm.

"Then again, when _isn't_ there a storm around here?" Jack muttered to himself. He was just being a pessimist. One issue was resolved, so he must be already dreading the next. Their family rarely went through long stretches of peace.

Still, his nerves weren't listening to reason. There was no way he'd be able to finish this paper given how distracted he was. He glanced at the clock and found that it was a quarter to twelve. Since Mr. B didn't say _when_ on Tuesday he had to hand it in, Jack decided that a few hours of sleep wouldn't hurt. Getting some rest would help him speed through the rest of the paper in the morning.

His choice made, Jack saved the document, shut down his laptop, and went to bed. Then, after only some tossing and turning, he proceeded to have one of the weirdest, most random dream he'd ever had.

_Dressed in full armor, he walked into the castle ball room, which had been decorated for an elaborate party. Lord Martin Maison was celebrating his recent victory over one of his longtime enemy lords, Walter Cole. The room was filled with couples dancing, and tables for eating the generous amount of delicious-looking food. His stomach rumbled, and after greeting the lord and some acquaintances, he sat down to eat._

_"Hungry, Sir Jerrard?"_

_If the interruption were from anyone else, he would have been annoyed. But since it was from his close friend Constance Heron, he stopped eating to get up and shake the man's hand. "Sir Constance! Enjoying your victory?"_

_"Of course!" he answered as he took a long sip of his wine to demonstrate. "How is it living in that big house? I hope you'll only have good news to report to the lord when we return to business matters."_

_He nodded. "Yes, all is well. The house is awfully big but I quite enjoy it. Thankfully the locals have been most welcoming."_

_"So I suppose there is room for a bride?" Constance asked, his eyebrow raised._

_Curious, he wondered who his friend had found for him in the few months he had been gone. "Who do you have in mind?"_

_"Let me introduce you," Constance offered. He stepped to the side, where a young woman with long, brown hair, soft blue eyes, and wearing simple yet flattering purple gown stood talking with other women. The group giggled when the handsome knight approached and asked the lady to come with him. After some small talk, the two made their way back to the knight. "Lord Jerrard Bennett, I'd like you to meet Lady Thea Payne, daughter of merchant Micheal Payne."_

_"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Thea," he said, then kissed the lady's hand._

_The faintest blush appeared on the beautiful young woman's face. "Surely, it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Sir Jerrard."_

And that was when Jack woke up.

"What the _hell_ was that?" he said aloud as he sat up in the darkened room. It didn't make any sense. Usually when a person had dreams, they were supposed to be _about_ that person, or at the very least someone he knew. Not medieval knights he'd never heard of before.

But even stranger...it hadn't even _felt_ like a normal dream. Presumably, if he was dreaming about a knight, he would be seeing it as if he were watching a scene on television. Instead, this had felt like he _was_ Sir Jerrard. He hadn't even had his own thoughts in the dream

Unnerved, Jack glanced at the clock to find it was two in the morning. Well, at least he'd gotten a couple hours of sleep. Maybe he'd be able to work on his paper long enough to calm down so he could go back to bed.

However, when he eventually turned on the light and stumbled to his desk, he found himself opening a search engine page instead of his paper. He typed in "Lord Jerrard Bennett," then clicked "search." Researching was definitely his sister's specialty - she was darn good at it. Hopefully he could tap into some of those genes, if she had in fact inherited the skill. Of course, he wasn't _hoping_ that he had some kind of weird psychic dream about real historical people he was positive he'd never read about before. But if he _did_ find something, the weird dreams might stop.

Because this was definitely not his first time dreaming about knights. Medieval history had been a part of his dreams, and nightmares, ever since he was young. When he was little, he always thought it was just because he liked King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. But they continued, if rarely, through his teens. What worried him was that this was the first time having two in a row - first the flash of the manor, now this. Before they had only come once every few years, if that.

Whatever this was, it had to end before it got worse. Making an appointment with a shrink could be the best way to make sure that happened. Confirming first if he was or wasn't dreaming of real people might also help him and the therapist uncover what his subconscious could be trying to tell him faster.

He let out a tired groan when links to irrelevant websites took up the entire first page. His paper would definitely have to wait until morning.

* * *

The next morning, Fi got up at the surprisingly normal time of around nine and had breakfast with her mother, who had a half hour before she left for her radio interview. Fi was glad for the quality time, since her mother had been keeping herself busy with work from the time she got up in the morning until she went to bed at night. "So how was rehearsal yesterday?" she asked as she dug into a bowl of her favorite sugary cereal. "I bet it was great getting back into the studio."

"Um...it was, I guess," Molly hesitantly replied while she carried her coffee over to the table, where she took a seat next to her daughter. She looked down at the mug for a second before she said, "I had another vision...if you could call it that."

If she had been a little groggy from the early hour, her mother's statement instantly made her even more alert. "I'm listening," Fi replied.

Again, Molly paused, but just for a second before she explained, "I-It wasn't even a vision. It...it felt like your father was trying to contact me. He was in the living room, calling my name over and over..." She trailed off, a somewhat ashamed expression on her face. "Am I jumping to conclusions, here? Was it really just a vision, of the past maybe, and I'm basing this on wishful thinking?"

_Oh my God_, Fi thought, her eyes wide. _Dad's doing it! He's reaching out to Mom!_ Her "dream" encounter with her father forever imprinted in her memory, she remembered that he'd said he was going to try to make the contact. She hadn't said anything about it because she hadn't wanted to get her mother's hopes up. "Mom, it _was_ Daddy," she replied. "You remember when he came to me in my dream-vision? He said he was going to try to visit you too."

Molly's jaw actually dropped. "Oh my God..." she whispered. "It was really him." Tears of what Fi presumed were joy filled her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. "I really saw him...but then why couldn't he talk to me, when he was able to reach you only a week ago??"

"I'm not sure," Fi said while she tried to think of a plausible reason. Then something that Morai had said emerged from her memory. "Maybe he wasn't strong enough. Morai said that it took a lot of energy for ghosts to cross over. Contacting someone in a vision could be hard too. He might have to wait a while after he already came to me."

Relieved, Molly nodded. "Right, I forgot she said that. I was worried that the demon had gotten to him"

Fi froze at the suggestion. Despite her fear of the demon, she hadn't even thought he might have intercepted her father trying to reach her mother. It was definitely a possibility, but on the other hand, her father's spirit could've just not had enough energy like she'd thought. Rather than make her mother more anxious, she faked a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mom. I'm sure he's fine."

"'Morning," Jack said as he entered the kitchen. He glanced at them in acknowledgment, then went to the cereal cabinet. "Fi, you're up..." A big yawn interrupted his sentence, so he held a box of Cheerios in one hand while he covered his mouth with the other. "...early," he finished, slightly embarrassed.

An eyebrow raised, Fi remarked, "And you were up late, it seems. Finishing that paper?"

"Yeah," he answered through another yawn. He began to make himself a bowl of cereal. "That, and this really weird dream. Probably just the result of playing video games too much."

Instantly, Fi and her mother glanced at each other, both concerned that the "really weird dream" might have been a vision. "What kind of dream, baby?" Molly asked, careful to keep the alarm out of her voice. Fi was grateful she had asked the question first, because if Fi had done so, Jack would have probably gone on the defensive, insisted it was nothing paranormal weird, and let the subject drop.

Jack sat down at the table with them, cereal bowl and spoon in hand, before he answered, "I don't know, some dream about medieval times. But it wasn't anything cool like a sword fight or something. Just these two knights at a party the lord was throwing at his castle." He then shook his head. "Like I said, I've had MediEvil on the brain lately so this was bound to happen."

"Yeah, I guess so," Fi said, surprised and a little relieved. That didn't sound like a vision at all. In fact, she actually agreed with Jack that it _did_ seem like something a video game set in medieval times would cause. Since her mother was being more open-minded, she could be more rational.

Incredulous, Jack glanced at her. "You _guess so_? What, no ridiculous theories?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I do think it's a sign," Fi replied. At her family's curious looks, she grinned. "A sign that you should lay off the video games for a while, bro."

Her family laughed, and the trio had a casual conversation about what they were doing the rest of the day while they finished breakfast. But as she was getting ready to leave, Molly paused, then took a seat at the island. "Fi, I...I have something I think you should know."

Fi's eyes widened, overwhelmed by the thought of yet _another_ family secret. Almost afraid to ask, she replied, "What is it?"

"Now, calm down, I don't think it's anything huge," Molly assured her when she saw Fi's nervous expression. "When Jack was young, he had dreams about knights too. They were few and far between, but they were usually about the same group of knights. He even had names for all of them, names that sounded like they could've been real knights."

"So...what are you saying?" Fi replied, not quite getting what her mother was implying. She'd heard of psychic dreams, convergent dreams, ghosts visiting in dreams...but this didn't fit any of those categories. "That Jack has been seeing the past? I've never heard of that before. And of all the possibilities, why would he always dream about _knights_? That's pretty random."

Molly shrugged. "I don't know what it is either, but I thought it was worth mentioning."

The new mystery had successfully snagged Fi's curiosity. Her determination was quickly emerging, and suddenly she couldn't wait to get to her computer. "I'm glad you did," she replied, in an almost distracted tone since her mind was already on what phrases she would enter in the search engine. "I'll look into it."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Since Jack's dreams, rather than daydreams, became more prominent in the story, I changed the title appropriately. Just thought I'd mention it.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

A couple of days later, Jack tried to keep his eyes open while he played some pool with Carey in the Bell's basement. The guitar player was letting off some steam, since Molly had been working everyone to the point of exhaustion. As Carey took his turn, Jack realized he hadn't been listening to what his friend was saying, and woke himself up. "Huh? What did you say, Carey?" Jack asked, then grimaced when he noticed he had blue chalk on his cheek from leaning on his pool stick.

"Look, no offense, Jack, but your mother is _crazy_," Carey ranted, thankfully unaware that Jack had been halfway to dreamland. He let out a deep breath before shooting a striped ball into a corner pocket. "It's been non-stop," he complained. "She's trying to get _three_ songs in this week. Three! _And_ we had to have extra practice for a gig this weekend!" He aimed for another ball, but thanks to his emotional state, missed it by a mile. "Your turn," he muttered, then plopped himself down on a nearby bar stool.

As he looked over the table, Jack yawned for maybe the tenth time in the last five minutes. "Just put up with it for a little while, Carey," he said. "I'm sure Mom will cool down eventually. She's just had a lot of issues with my sister."

"I know," Carey grumbled "It's just hard to be understanding when you start getting blisters on top of blisters from playing so much." He paused. "By the way, did you ever find out what Molly's so freaked out about? Even my mom is worried."

Jack shrugged. To be honest, he'd talked with his mother about it...but he wasn't really satisfied. It'd been painfully obvious that she was keeping secrets from him. But as just thinking about that made his anger spike, he tried to downplay it in front of Carey, who had enough anger towards Molly of his own. "She'd just adjusting to having a more open mind when it comes to my sister's ridiculous stories," he explained truthfully. "She'll probably get over it soon."

"No, there's definitely something else there," Carey insisted. "My mom said that Molly had even told her she was keeping some big secret from everybody. Did Molly tell you at least?"

Again, there was the rising fury. Jack barely managed to keep it down. "No," he answered. Carey raised an eyebrow at that. "Yeah, I know, it's weird," Jack said. "But I'm trying not to think about it." Then he let out another big yawn.

"Well apparently it's keeping you up at night," Carey pointed out. "You've been yawning all day."

As he leaned over the table for his next shot, Jack shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Just been having some odd dreams lately."

"Did you tell Fi about them?" Carey teased.

"You know what, I did," Jack answered. He took a shot, and the solid ball slowly rolled into the pocket. "And she actually agreed with me that they were probably from playing video games too much."

"Now _that_ is weird."

Jack laughed. "I have to admit, I was surprised too. Especially since _I'm_ starting to wonder if they're just regular dreams."

"Wait, don't tell me. You think you're psychic now," Carey joked.

"No, not psychic," Jack retorted, maybe a little more defensive than he should have been given that Carey wasn't being serious. "But...okay, have you ever had dreams about historical people before?"

Carey paused. "Well, there was this one dream where I was playing a gig, and Abraham Lincoln was in the front row..."

"No, not like that," Jack explained. "I wasn't even _in_ the dream. I mean, I was, but I wasn't me. I was this knight I've never even heard of before."

"So? It was just a dream," Carey assured him.

It would be so nice if he could believe that. "This isn't that simple. I've been having a few dreams about him over the past week, so...I did some research," Jack explained, worried that he was about to sound like his sister. "The knight I dreamed about, and his wife, are real people. They're the founders of this town in England."

"Whoa," Carey said, then after a second of thought, asked, "So what does this mean, exactly?"

"Heck if I know," he said with a long sigh. "Maybe my mom's not the only crazy one." When Carey didn't have a reply, Jack refocused his attention on the game.

* * *

While Jack was at the Bells', Fi took the opportunity to do some research. She sat on the living room couch with her computer on her lap. Her mother practiced playing guitar on the couch's other end, but she was also there in case Fi needed any more information about Jack's past "dreams."

At the moment, Fi was chatting in her website chat room, with the hope that one of the members would be able to point her in the right direction. She often used this method when she had no idea where to start, which was definitely the case this time.

_Hey guys,_ she typed. _My brother has been having these weird dreams. But they're not psychic. They're of the past...as in, the _medieval_ past. Like knights and stuff. Any ideas?_

She waited for responses. Since she was the website's creator, she usually got tons of help whenever she asked for it. After a couple minutes of the others volunteering random information, a more knowledgeable member emerged and the others backed off.

_DaydreamBeliever: Fi, what are the dreams like? Is Jack watching them, or is he one of the knights?_

At that, Fi paused, and after a second of thought, realized she didn't know.

_Rockerbaby: No idea. Let me ask my mom._

_DaydreamBeliever: Your mom? I thought she hated when you talked about paranormal stuff._

_Rockerbaby: Let's just say...recently, she's had a MUCH more open-mind._

_DaydreamBeliever: That's awesome! Good to hear after how much you and her fight over this._

_Rockerbaby: Thanks. I'm pretty relieved - it was getting rough for a while there._

While other members chimed in on the good news, Fi glanced up at her mother. "Hey, Mom?" When Molly glanced up from her guitar, Fi asked, "Do you know what types of dreams Jack was having?"

Molly wrinkled her brow. "Isn't that what we're trying to figure out?"

"No, sorry, I guess I should've explained what I meant," Fi answered, slightly embarrassed. "I mean, like, what the dreams were about, specifically. Were they from his point of view?"

"Oh," Molly said, then thought for a second. "Yeah, they were. I remember because he would often pretend that he was the knight when he played with Clu and Carey." There was a pause, then Molly laughed. "Sir Jerrard Bennett, I think it was. I remember thinking the name sounded pretty real, like it could be an actual medieval name." The words hit home and made Fi's eyes widen. Molly got the hint. "Do you think it is?" she asked, a trace of her old skepticism in her voice.

"No idea." Fi then grinned at her mother. "Anything's possible."

Molly laughed. "I'm trying to believe that."

While her mother went back to playing the guitar, Fi typed...

_Rockerbaby: Hey Ariel, got some new information for you._

She quickly shared what she'd just learned, and the response wasn't immediate. Ten seconds later, Fi's friend replied.

_DaydreamBeliever: So he definitely dreamed that he was the same knight each time?_

After she confirmed this with her mother, Fi replied...

_Rockerbaby: Yup, every time._

_DaydreamBeliever: ...then I think your brother might be having visions of a past life._

Fi actually felt her jaw drop in shock. Her _brother_, a reincarnated medieval knight?As much as she wanted to dismiss the outrageous idea, she had to admit the theory made sense since Jack had been dreaming of the same knight since childhood.

_DaydreamBeliever: Hey Fi, you know what I just noticed? Jerrard, Jack...both start with J._

The eerie coincidence made Fi's eyebrows shoot up until they practically reached her hairline. "Oh boy," she said.

Her daughter's shock made Molly look up at her with alarm. "What is it, baby?"

After she gulped down what nerves she could, Fi managed to weakly ask, "Uh, Mom? How open are you to the idea of reincarnation?"

"You're kidding," Molly answered as she put her guitar down and slid next to Fi so she could see the computer screen. She read the conversation, then gave Fi an incredulous look. "You're saying that _Jack_ was a _knight_? That's...that's..." she sputtered.

"About as crazy as us being witches," Fi couldn't help but reply.

Flustered, Molly argued, "I know, but this is _Jack_ we're talking about. It's bad enough he might have my family's witch gene. But this...I mean, we're not even sure. It's just a theory."

"Then let's confirm it," Fi said as she grabbed the phone from the side of the couch. "What's Grandma Kathleen's number?"

* * *

'Thanks for everything, Ma," Molly said into the cordless phone as she walked into the kitchen to heat up some dinner for Fi and herself, since Jack would be staying over at the Bells'. "I know it's a little out there, but...after Jack's had so many dreams, the idea's worth considering."

Kathleen chuckled. "It's no trouble, love. To be honest, I'm just thrilled that _you_ think the idea's worth considering. I really never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah, I'm just full of surprises lately..." Molly trailed off as she sighed. She stopped cutting out some slices of leftover lasagna and leaned on the counter. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop feeling guilty about the huge secret she was keeping. "I haven't told Jack yet. Or Irene, or anyone else who's worried about me."

There was quiet on the other end of the line, then Kathleen quietly asked, "Are you planning to?"

Her head in her free hand, Molly fought down the urge to scream. She'd been hoping her mother would tell her the answer to that very question. "I know I have to. But...I _know_ he's going to think I've _literally_ gone insane," she confessed.

"The O'Sianhan witches have a habit of draw the magical community to them. If you don't tell him, he'll eventually suspect it on his own. As will those close to you."

Molly paused, her eyebrow raised though her mother couldn't see. The information was definitely new to her. While she was slowly embracing her magical heritage, she'd been thinking she'd be able to still live a normal life as well. "What do you mean? I am going to be able to keep this a secret, right? In case you've forgotten, Ma, I'm a musician. Musicians tend to be noticed by the general public."

Despite her daughter's panic, Kathleen laughed. "Relax, love. Of course you'll be able to keep the secret from the general public. After all, magic has been able to stay hidden for hundreds of years. I just meant that witches usually do end up telling their loved ones what they really are...and not always on their own terms."

"That last part makes me _really_ nervous," Molly retorted. The thought that Jack could see magic before Molly had the chance to come clean...oh God, she didn't even _want_ to think about it. She was about to say something else, when she noticed a large book on the kitchen island. When she went over it, she realized it was Fi's spell book. "Hold on one second, Ma," she said into the phone, then put a hand over the mouthpiece as she shouted, "Fi! You left your spell book in here again! How many times have I told you to put that book away when you're not using it?"

"Sorry, Mom! I'll be right in!"

Molly shook her head, then realized what she'd just said as she put the phone back up to her ear.. "Oh God, Ma," she moaned. "I'm going to be raising a teenage witch."

"Yes, I suppose I have to thank you for sparing me that," Kathleen joked, which only made her daughter groan again. "Don't worry, love. I'm here whenever you need me. I can be there in a matter of seconds to help with any future emergency."

Her mouth fell slightly open when Molly registered the meaning of her mother's words. "Oh my God...you mean you can..."

"With some practice, you'll eventually be able to do it too," Kathleen assured her. She paused, and Molly heard her father's voice in the far background. "I'm sorry, love," Kathleen said when she'd returned to the conversation. "Your father's in here asking about dinner. Did you need anything else?"

After a second of thought, Molly answered, "No, I think that's it for now. Thanks again Ma, send Da my love." After Kathleen assured that she would, Molly pressed the "off" button and went back to making dinner.

Fi came in about ten minutes later to get her book. "Sorry about that Mom, was talking to some other people in the chat room. Did Grandma have anything else to say about Jack?"

"No, just _again_ said how happy she is that I'm starting to believe," Molly answered with a laugh. Kathleen tended to mix it into every telephone conversation she and her daughter had lately. "Hey, you know there's apparently an instant transport spell?" Molly couldn't help but add. It was such an amazing concept that she had to share it with someone who would be equally astounded. "Your grandmother said she could do it, and I'm not going to lie - my jaw just about dropped to the floor."

"Really? That's awesome!" Fi exclaimed as her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "I'd imagine that could come in pretty handy since I don't have my license yet."

_As the saying goes..."me and my big mouth,"_ Molly thought as she shook her head. "Whoa, hold on. I know we're new to this stuff, but we're going to have to put down some ground rules here. I can't just let you transport yourself all over the country."

"Yeah, I know," Fi assured her. "Besides, I should probably learn battle spells first, and concentrate on those until we take down that demon." She glanced over at the book on the table. "Maybe we should take advantage of Jack not being around and get in some practice."

Though she really didn't feel like practicing witchcraft after dinner, Molly knew it was necessary. "Fine. I'll go heat up the food while you start going through the book." She reached for the book to give to Fi, but the second both witches had a hand on the book, Molly was hit with a vision...

_So much...confusion. She's in the living room, she knows that much. But her sight is blurry as she's running...running towards the kitchen, possibly...Fi is beside her...they're both stopped when the lights are turned off...wait, no, it's not the lights, it's some type of floating shadow...there's several of the dark, weightless clouds surrounding them..._

_And then both she and Fiona are blasted back so much that they roll over a couch. Bruised but not hurt, she calls out for her daughter...there's no immediate response...another blast emits from the shadow, but this time it's a fiery streak of light headed straight for her...she's not helpless though as she holds out her hand and shouts, "Adeinio Bacia!"_

_Miraculously, the streak changes course and hits the offending figure right in the middle...the light of the blaze eclipses the dark, and the creature disappears..._

And suddenly she's in the kitchen again, her sight clear even though she was left light-headed. The book had fallen to the floor. She gasped for breath, eager to be able to tell Fi what she saw.

But Fi was gasping for air too. Her eyes wide with fear, she looked up at her mother and found her breath first. "D-demons?" she managed to say. "Attacking us in the living room?"

"Yeah," Molly answered. She then wrapped her arms tight around Fi, unsure if she was trying to comfort her daughter or herself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

His hands behind his head, Jack tried to get comfy on the living room couch. He'd just returned from a sleepless night at the Bells'. Of course he'd had yet _another_ medieval dream, but thankfully he'd been alone since he'd slept in Clu's empty room rather than making a bed out of extra sheets on Carey's floor. This meant he hadn't had to explain the piercing scream he let out when Jerrard was injured during a fight with a trespassing enemy knight.

These dreams were getting ridiculous. He'd had at least three in just the past week, when up until then he'd rarely had once a year after childhood. He desperately needed to figure them out soon before he became an insomniac.

Well, at least he was in no danger of becoming one at the moment. He could feel his eyes closing already, despite not even having a pillow...

_His left arm severely injured, Jerrard ran back to the manor. He'd managed to take out the other knight, sent by a lord to see how strong Lord Maison's hold on the area was. But he'd need to alert Lord Maison of the spy, and warn that he might need more knights as back up in the future._

_The pain continued to shoot up his arm, which made him bite his lip to keep from screaming. Before Jerrard had gotten the upper hand, his foe had managed to slice him with a dagger. The wound didn't feel too serious, but he'd need to rest it for a few days._

_He stumbled into the main foyer and collapsed onto a straw cot under a window. Though he knew the wound needed to be dressed, he couldn't make it into the other room where his wife could attend to it. "Thea?" he called._

_She rushed into the room, saw his injury, then ran to his side. "Oh, Jerrard!" she cried as she hugged him. "What happened?"_

_"The enemy sent a knight to survey the land," Jerrard explained. "I'll be all right. I just need you to tend to this."_

_She looked over the wound, and a strange, hesitant expression came over her face. Finally, she nodded. "Of course."_

_While he pondered her actions, he watched her leave, then come back with a small bottle full of an unusual pink liquid. "This will heal you," she said with confidence as she sat beside him. She cleaned the wound first with some nearby water from a bucket, then began to smooth the cool, creamy liquid over the gash._

_Within seconds, the wound began to fade. In less then two minutes, it was as if he'd never been hurt._

_His mouth open in shock, he glanced between the healed wound, his nervous wife, and back again a couple more times. "How could you...how..." Then his eyes widened as he jumped up and took a few steps back away from her. "Witchcraft!" he exclaimed._

_"Please understand, Jerrard," Thea pleaded, tears in her eyes. "The wound was worse than you thought, I needed to use the potion..." _

_"Y-you're a witch!" he accused as fear overcame him. "You're evil!"_

_About to cry, Thea fought tears back as she stood up to argue, "No, Jerrard, witches are not evil. It is a misconception of us. Think - if witches were evil, would I have been able to use magic to cure you?"_

_She had a valid point. Though Jerrard had been taught that magic and those who practiced should be hung, he looked into Thea's eyes and could feel her honesty. At the very least, his love for his wife overcame his previous thoughts on magic. He had gotten to know her very well in their past few months of marriage - she was a kind, caring woman, one he could not associate with any amount of evil, even if she did practice witchcraft. _

_While he was still reluctant to accept her practice of witchcraft, he still loved her. He didn't need to think about it more than a second to figure that out. _

_As he thought, she took a tentative step forward. "Jerrard, please. I'm still me. I still love you."_

_He gave her a resigned nod, which made her sigh with relief. "I love you as well, Thea," he insisted as he pulled her into his arms. "And I always will, no matter what you are."_

Startled, Jack's eyes flew open as he sat up against the arm of the couch.

Okay, the weird factor of his dreams had just been kicked up a notch. _Witchcraft?_ Really? He got enough of that crap from his sister and grandmother. He didn't need it in his dreams too.

"All right, that's it. This needs to end now," he muttered, determined. The inclusion of magic, which didn't exist, added to the argument that his dreams were just that, and needed to be resolved...if just so he could catch a decent night's sleep.

That was when he saw his sister's open laptop on the coffee table.

"Fi?" he called. When there was no answer, he remembered that she had gone to hang out with Candy and some of the other girl's friends from school. Knowing his sister, she was probably doing research right up until her ride came.

Not quite sure what _he _was supposed to research, Jack slid her laptop over to him anyway. She probably would have let him use it if she was there, so he didn't feel too guilty as he ran his finger over the touch pad to make the screen saver disappear. He raised an eyebrow at the page that took its place.

"'Reincarnation,'" he read aloud. "'Found in many religions of Indian descent, the concept describes a soul leaving its previous body after death and transferring to a new one. Also known as transmigration of the soul.'"

_So this is Fi's latest project,_ he thought with some amusement. Then he chuckled. _I wonder who she thinks is...oh, no._

The unwanted insight came all too easily. Of course Fi hadn't sounded like herself when she dismissed his dreams as the result of too much video games. She hadn't believed it. He had to give her credit for not blurting the reincarnation idea the second it popped in her head.

Although...maybe the idea wasn't _so_ crazy. Aliens, ghosts, magic, etc..._that_ was crazy. But reincarnation was more religious than paranormal. After all, he had confessed that he even thought the dreams were strange. Minus the whole witch thing, his dreams about medieval times had been extremely realistic. Maybe this was what he was supposed to discover. Being a reincarnated knight wasn't so bad.

Actually, it was pretty cool.

Slightly embarrassed because he knew he was acting like his sister, Jack checked to make sure his mother wasn't in the next room over. Then he slid the laptop closer to him, pulled up the first page on reincarnation that Fi had tagged on her favorites bar, and began to read.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Fi woke up around noon and headed straight for the kitchen. Though she'd often spent time with Candy and Candy's school friends, Fi had stayed over her best friend's house late last night so they could talk privately about their week. Of course, Fi hadn't minded hanging out with Candy's friends. Her new social life was a welcome change from more or less being on her own during the tour. However, she'd wanted to hear the details of what happened with Candy and her crush...and to tell her best friend what she'd discovered about Jack.

If she was to be honest, Fi felt a little guilty that she was telling Candy about Jack before she revealed the truth about herself. But...she just couldn't do it, not yet anyway. While Candy wasn't as stubborn about not believing in the paranormal as Jack was, she still was hesitant to believe all of Fi's stories. Fi feared that trying to convince Candy of her new-found magical powers might put her best friend over the edge.

After all, Candy had always been extremely tolerant...how much more flexibility could Fi reasonably expect? Though Fi had begged her family to believe, the situation was different. Her family had seen at least some elements of the magical world, and were obligated to stick by her no matter how crazy they thought she was. Candy hadn't seen anything, and she had no such family obligations.

This secrecy couldn't go on much longer, though. Similar to how Irene was becoming frustrated with Molly, Candy had been trying to pull the truth out of Fi all week, at least whenever they were alone. Last night, Fi managed to placate her friend by spilling what she thought about Jack. But Candy wasn't easily distracted, and would no doubt bring up the topic again.

Fi sighed, as the thought of possibly losing her best friend made her upset. She quickly refocused her thoughts on the Jack situation.

One positive result of last night was that voicing her theories about Jack's past life made them seem much more plausible. Even Candy had agreed that the dreams sounded strange. That, and Fi's grandmother had reasoned that the increased frequency of Jack's dreams was probably the result of the weakened shield spell. While Kathleen had been wrong when she'd presumed Fi's attraction to the paranormal was the result of her family's magic, Fi had to agree with her grandmother in this case.

"'Morning, Mom," Fi said as she reached the kitchen, and went to make herself a bowl of cereal. "Where's Jack?"

At the kitchen table looking over some papers while she ate her own breakfast, Molly answered, "He just left to go play basketball with Carey and some friends."

"Good, because I was thinking about some things," Fi said. She brought her cereal over to the table and sat next to her mother, who looked at her with worry. "It's nothing big," she quickly added. "But you know how Grandma Kathleen said that Jack was getting these visions because we cast that spell? It occurred to me...he's getting these visions when he doesn't even have access to his full magic. Does this mean that Jack is really powerful?"

Without giving her mother time to reply, she continued, "Or does it mean that there's something important about Jack's specific past life that we're supposed to figure out? I mean, you and I probably have past lives too, right? How come we haven't been having visions like his?"

Overwhelmed by her daughter's rant, Molly could only point out, "But Jack has been having these dreams since he was young. I know I haven't had them, and I'm pretty sure you haven't either."

"Exactly!" Fi replied with enthusiasm. "These dreams are coming now, more frequently than ever, right when we're about to go against our family's arch enemy. It can't be a coincidence."

"Yes, it can," Molly argued. "You heard your grandmother. It's probably just a side effect of the spell."

Fi simply crossed her arms and leaned on the table for emphasis. "Then why hasn't he been having visions of the future like us? I mean, you've been having them ever since you were little, and while I never really noticed until I thought about it, I've always had deja vu more than the average person."

Still reluctant, Molly replied, "That must just be the way his own power manifests itself. Your grandmother did say it's different for every person. Like I said, he's had these visions his whole life...it's not specific to now."

"But they were more prominent when he was younger, right after..." Fi trailed off, startled to realize that she'd been about to say that the Ora had killed her father, when her mother still didn't know. Her reasoning was that Jack had the most visions whenever the demon was actively going after their family. ...but she couldn't just blurt that out, not when she knew how much it would affect her mother.

An eyebrow raised, Molly asked, "After...what?"

Though her mother's look was insistent, Fi struggled to come up with another end to the sentence. "After Nora had already cast the spell," she finally said. "If the visions were simply from our family magic, then why would he have them right when he was supposed to be cut off from magic? Wouldn't the spell have been the strongest then?" Fi resisted the urge to breathe a sigh of relief that she had actually come up with a good argument. And come to think of it...the reasoning made sense.

After a second of contemplative silence, Molly nodded. "All right, so you think these past life visions are sending us a message. What do you think they're trying to tell us?"

"That's what I haven't figured out yet," Fi confessed. "Maybe...maybe he's supposed to help us fight the demon somehow?"

Molly shook her head. "No, I don't want to drag Jack into this. I'm not entirely happy that you have to fight this, either." Upset, she let out a deep breath. "The very thought of losing you two to that thing terrifies me. If I could, I'd take it on myself."

"Mom, you can't fight it alone, that's insane," Fi cried as she jumped up from her seat, which surprised them both. Some rational part of her brain knew that her mother was only speaking hypothetically, but just the idea of losing another parent to this demon made her near-hysterical with fright. "You can't! Daddy tried, and look what happened to him!"

The second the words were out of her mouth, Fi realized what she'd done. Her mother had become very still, her face expressionless, her fists clenched in an effort to get them to stop shaking. After a second, she _slowly_ stood up to face her daughter, and in a quiet but commanding voice, demanded, "What...did...happen...to him, Fiona?"

"Uh...I..." Fi stuttered, but from the scary look on her mother's face, knew she couldn't lie her way out of this one. Finally she sighed, and lowered her eyes so much that she was looking at the floor. "Daddy's car crash wasn't an accident, Mom."

* * *

She had gone weak at the knees, but used her grip on the table to keep herself upright. Fi hadn't explained, but Molly got what she meant - the Ora demon had somehow caused Rick's car crash.

Anger. Hot, dangerous anger flowed through her. Over the years, she had managed to convince herself that Rick's death had been a terrible accident, one that couldn't have been avoided. Sure, at first she blamed herself, wondered for months after if there had been just _one_ thing she could have done that would have prevented him from getting in the car that night. But when she hit rock bottom, she realized the guilt was destroying her, that she needed to stop being irrational to care for her children.

But knowing that Rick had been _taken away from her_...

Molly felt her hair blow up around her as if she were standing over a vent. Her grip on the kitchen table had turned her knuckles white, and the table itself started to violently shake. Both her and Fi's cereal bowls, along with the papers she had been reading, blasted off into the air and landed clear across the room. Fi had needed to duck to avoid being hit.

"No..." she choked out, her glare steady on her frightened daughter. "No. You're wrong." She said it as a statement. "It's not true. Because I did not go through emotional hell, only to find out now that it was someone else's fault. Life can't be that cruel. It just _can't_."

Though her words were said seemingly without any kind of emotion, they still brought instant tears to Fi's eyes, which had widened in shock at the uncensored confession. "I'm sorry, Mommy," she cried, her hand over her mouth. "I didn't want to tell you like this. But it's true. I've suspected it for a while, and then...when I met the firefighter who was there that night...he said that Daddy had been dead before the car crashed." When Molly shook her head, Fi insisted, "Mom, you _know_ I'm right!"

"_No_!" she screamed. She felt the mass of power build, but could do nothing except watch when it shot out of her and knocked Fi off her feet.

She hit the tile floor, then slid back to the wall opposite them. Bruised and scared, Fi stayed down and hugged her knees to her chest. A whimper escaped. Her eyes were read when she looked up at her mother. "I'm sorry, Mommy," she repeated. "But I won't take it back. It's true and you know it!"

Molly barely heard Fi's words as she looked down at herself with horror. _I...I just hurt my own child,_ she thought in shock. _And now she's afraid of me._ Though she wanted to run out of the room, she couldn't do that to Fi. So instead, she summoned her courage and ran to her her daughter's side, sat down on the floor, and wrapped Fi in a tight hug. "I'm sorry..." she sobbed. "I-I didn't mean it, I swear...I don't know what happened...it just came out of me..."

"I know, Mom," Fi assured her, and held on to her mother with equal force. "I know. And I get that you're going to be angry about this. I am too. _Really_ angry," she said. "But...if we lose ourselves in anger, the demon wins."

Her arms still around her daughter, Molly closed her eyes for a brief second to calm herself down. Had her power not acted out, she probably would have let the devastating revelation consume her. The second Fi had told her, Molly wanted to run out of the room, avoid the truth at all costs...as she usually did. But after the possible consequences of denying the truth had been so spelled out for her with an unintentional act of violence, she couldn't do that anymore. While she wanted to yell, scream, lock herself in her room and wallow, it wouldn't do any good. In fact, she might even injure someone if she did, since intense fury seemed to cause her power to lash out. She'd hurt her daughter even more than she already had...much like the other times she denied the truth.

They had come too far to go back to their old ways, of fighting until one apologized just because they were sick of the tension. She didn't want that. Though it was difficult accepting her new witch identity, she preferred it to the constant shouting matches and the ensuing days of silence between them. She _couldn't_ refuse to believe again, not when she knew how much it would devastate Fi, since Molly had already come so far.

Of course, her outrage would not simply vanish into thin air, no matter how much she refused to let it break her. She needed to harness it, and use it to destroy the demon that wouldn't be satisfied until it destroyed her family.

The two finally broke apart, but didn't get up just yet. They sat with their backs against the wall, worn out from the confrontation. "Are you okay?" Fi asked quietly.

"No," Molly admitted. "But I will be. You're right, Fiona. We can't let this ruin us before the demon even attacks."

At that, Fi glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. "You...you're still with me?" At Molly's bewildered look, she explained, "I thought for sure when you find out, you'd try to go back to pretending the paranormal doesn't exist."

"I probably would have...if our family's magic hadn't made its presence known," she replied. "But exploding like that, it's just more proof that I can't pretend anymore. Opening my mind must have reversed all the self-control I thought I had...and now my power won't be ignored."

Relieved, Fi threw her arms around her mother again. "I'm sorry," she said, her chin on her mother's shoulder. "For not telling you. But I was scared that you'd react...well, kind of like how you did."

Molly chuckled as they broke away. "It's all right. You shouldn't have told me. Because then I wouldn't have believed it. And I wouldn't be here for you now, trying to save our family."

A smile on her face, Fi said, "I love you, Mom."

"Love you too, baby," Molly replied. She finally got up from the floor, then held out a hand to help her daughter up. Fi slowly rose, her free hand on her back. "Oh my God, I did. I hurt you," she said as she led her daughter over to the kitchen table. "Here, you sit down. I'll get you an ice pack..."

"Mom, really, I'm okay," Fi insisted, though she took the ice pack when Molly offered it to her. "We do need to start getting ready for this demon, though. I left my spell book up on my desk, but I think the _Adeinio Bacia _spell from our vision is in there..."

Molly held up her hands in reassurance and headed toward the stairs. "Don't worry, I'll get it."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Her spell book open in front of her on the kitchen counter, Fi nervously kept an eye on the various pots on the stove, each full of a bright green-colored bubbling liquid. She felt a little like a mad scientist in that respect, but the liquids weren't chemicals. They were all one magic potion, the recipe found in her book. The book said that this "battle potion" was supposed to destroy an enemy demon when it was done. But according to the recipe, she shouldn't touch the pots for another ten minutes.

Wait, was it ten minutes, or twenty? She checked the book again. Yes, ten minutes. Given her family's lacking culinary skills, she was just a little paranoid about making sure the potions came out right.

At least she wouldn't have to worry about her brother walking in and seeing this. After basketball with the guys, Jack had gone over to the Bells' again, and would be having dinner there. For a brief moment, Fi envied that Jack still managed to keep a close friendship with Carey and Clu even when they weren't on the bus. Sure, she would always be close with the Bell brothers, but she wasn't one of the guys.

She supposed that relationship would be tested even more when they found out she was a witch. It wasn't just her friendship with Candy she had to worry about. Everyone would treat both her and her mother differently. No matter what they said when they found out, even if they somehow took the news well, _nothing_ would be the same.

As she turned away from the stove for a brief second, she was surprised to find a tear in her eye. Even though she loved the paranormal, she supposed she didn't love the abrupt changes her newfound witch heritage would bring to her life. In a way, she _really_ had to give her mother credit for accepting this, when even _Fi_ was reluctant to fully embrace her family magic.

"Mom?" she called. She needed a distraction before she started wallowing in her fear. "What did Grandma say?"

The cordless phone in hand and a note pad in the other, Molly ran into the kitchen. She'd gone into the living room so she wouldn't be distracted while she wrote down some of Kathleen's potion-making tips. "I'm…not sure," she confessed, her brow wrinkled. "She said that witches commonly arm themselves by infusing gem stones with potions, like the battle potions we're making."

"Oh! It's like magical ammo. You throw one, gem makes impact, demon disappears," Fi reasoned. Molly nodded in confirmation. "So…what's the problem?"

"That's not the confusing part," Molly explained while she put the phone and pad on the counter island . "She said…she said that she would send over a bunch of extra gem stones she had that we could use."

Still not quite understanding her mother's confusion, Fi raised an eyebrow. "So, what? Is she going to send them in the mail or something?"

"Not…exactly."

As if it had been waiting for the entrance, a cherry wood treasure chest-like trunk, just a bit larger than the average shoebox, just _appeared_ on the counter before them. No fancy poof of magic or anything like that. One minute there hadn't been a box…and the next, there was.

Fi's jaw dropped. "Whoa."

"Definitely," Molly agreed with a nervous chuckle. But Fi could see the alarm in her mother's eyes at finding out that Kathleen could so easily cast such an impressive spell.

To calm her mother, Fi joked, "Now _that_ one I have to learn. I mean, think about it! We'll never have to pay for shipping again!"

"Funny," Molly remarked, still uneasy. "S-so, um, how are those potions coming? I checked everything with Ma after I told her about the gems, so I think we're doing it right. The potions should be a bright green color by now."

Fi nodded at the bubbling liquids. "Bright green? Check. Now how do we infuse the gems?"

"Ma said you just had to put them in the bottom of a pitcher, and let them soak overnight," Molly said while she opened the chest. Her mouth open slightly, she needed a second to recover. "Oh my God. Fi, look at all this!"

Fi peered over the lid of the trunk, and soon had the same awestruck expression as her mother. From her past research, she could identify all of the different gems and their magical properties. Red Jasper calmed conflict and aggression. Dark green malachite was a strong stone that released negativity. And black onyx was a good protective stone that drove away evil forces. There were over a dozen of each gem in the filled truck.

"Wow," Fi finally said. "I think Grandma knew we would need this. All of these gems have magical property of driving away evil."

"I sure hope they do," Molly said, nervous at the thought of actually having to use the gems. The idea overwhelming her, she uselessly tries to suppress her scared expression. "W-we're going to need a bigger container for all of these," she continued, her voice shaky. "I think there's some empty storage containers in the basement. We can keep the gems down there too. I'll cover them with a blanket or something so Jack doesn't see…"

"Mom?" Fi interrupted. Afraid as well, she went over and gave her mother a tight hug, which Molly gratefully returned. "We're going to be okay," Fi assured her with conviction. "I know that it's scary, because this is the demon that got Daddy." She paused to swallow a lump in her throat. "B-but he was alone. We have each other, and magic. We _can_ do this."

Molly gave her a sad smile as they parted. "You must get your courage from your father."

"And you," Fi quickly assured her. Though there was disbelief in her eyes, Molly nodded. Then she went down to the basement for the containers, and Fi returned to her potion-watching.

* * *

_The news of his wife's real identity had shaken Jerrard. He truly wanted to believe that Thea was not evil, as she claimed. She hadn't changed since her revelation – she was still the kind woman he had known for almost a year. But he couldn't dismiss the doubt he kept with him. How could witchcraft possibly be good?_

_He kept these doubts to himself, of course. He didn't want to make Thea worry about their marriage, when really he was just concerned about her magic use. After some restless nights, he decided that he should just keep a close eye on her, in case the magic did start to turn her evil._

_His reluctant acceptance was tested when he walked in to find a cauldron on the hearth, filled with a bubbling liquid, its color an unnaturally bright green. "Thea!" he chided as he quickly closed the door behind him. "What if I had brought someone home?"_

"_I would have heard you and put the cauldron out of sight," Thea assured him. She got up and gave him a quick kiss. "Relax, dear. I'll be done with it soon."_

_Though he wanted to walk right past it without question, Jerrard felt that, as her husband, he had to know what she was doing. "What _is_ it?" he said as he sniffed the air. He couldn't put his finger on what that odor was…a mix of ocean air and burning wood chips. "It smells…smoky." _

_Surprised he asked, Thea took a second to reply, "Oh, uh, it's a battle potion. There are some demons nearby threatening the village. My coven and I want to take care of them before they do serious harm."_

"_You mean, you're…_fighting_ evil?" he asked. The revelation made him think. Despite the magical aspect, Thea was protecting the village. That was exactly what _he_ was supposed to do as well. They certainly had different methods, but maybe they did have a common goal._

_A wry smile on her face, Thea crossed her arms. "Yes, _fighting_ evil. I know that's hard to believe." _

"_I'm sorry. However, I think it is fair that I take some time to adjust," Jerrard replied as he hugged her in reassurance. "I also think you should take your potion off the hearth before someone smells it."_

"Jack!"

Jack felt his eyes shoot open as his sister's exclamation made him jump. After a night of little sleep, he'd come down to breakfast, grabbed a bowl of cereal, sat at the table…and made the mistake of closing his eyes. _It figures_, Jack thought. _I go through the trouble of keeping myself awake at night so I don't dream. And then I'm caught at breakfast._ "Sorry," he mumbled. "Could've used a little more sleep, I guess."

"More knight dreams?" Molly asked, her brow furrowed.

Too tired to discuss the reincarnation theory, Jack tried to brush off her concern. "I'm fine, Mom. They're just dreams." Though he wish he hadn't, he caught the worried look his mother and sister exchanged. Great, as if his _sister's_ paranormal obsession wasn't bad enough.

"Yeah, that's probably it," Fi agreed from where she was just about finished making her own cereal. At his surprised glance, she sighed. "They're dreams of the _past_. It's not like you're having psychic visions or anything."

As Fi grabbed a spoon and carried her bowl over to the table, Jack remarked, "You're letting me down, Fi. The one time I could actually _use_ some of your crazy theories, you come up empty-handed." When it was his family's turn to give him incredulous glances, he explained, "Look, I'm sick of these dreams, okay? Maybe if I try one of your outrageous suggestions, they'll stop."

"Fine. You really want to know what I think?" Fi retorted. She put her cereal down, then went to sit at the table. "I think – "

While she sat down, however, Jack noticed her wince of pain, and how she subtly grabbed her back. "Fi, what happened?" he asked. "Did you hurt yourself?"

His question caught her off guard. She gaped at him for a second and once again shared an anxious look with their mother. But she quickly shook her head and feebly explained, "I-I, uh…just slept on it wrong. No big deal." Before he could object, she continued from where she'd left off. "Anyway, I think the knight in your dreams might be a past life. You know, reincarnation. That in mind, you might just want to let the dreams come and try to figure out what he might be trying to tell you."

Jack hesitated. While he had the option to go his usual route and deny, he just couldn't do that to his sister, when he had come to accept the idea himself. "Thanks, Fi," he finally said, then enjoyed watching his sister's eyes widen with shock. Even his mother had turned to him, surprise on her face. After he chuckled, which he hadn't been able to resist, he explained, "Look, I saw the page open on Fi's computer the other day, and…well, I considered it. I mean, reincarnation isn't exactly paranormal. It's more religious. And while I'm not going to start converting to anything, given these dreams I've had pretty much my whole life…I'm willing to open my mind to the idea." Then he grinned. "Besides, you have to admit that being a reincarnated knight is pretty cool."

"Very," Molly agreed, more out of relief than agreement. She patted his shoulder. "Reincarnation is fine by me if it means peace in this household for once."

While he and his sister laughed, Jack stopped when an unusual scent hit his nostrils. He'd detected it when he got home, but he'd been so tired that he didn't bother to think about it. "Hey, do you guys smell that?" He asked as he sniffed again. "It's kind of…smoky."

Again, he saw his mother and sister trade guilty looks, even though they were trying to be subtle about it. "O-Oh, that," Fi weakly said in an attempt to be dismissive. "It's probably leftover barbeque smell. The guy who lives a few doors away was grilling up a storm last night."

"Right! I do remember that," Molly said.

Though he wasn't sure if he believed them, Jack wisely chose not to press the issue. "Oh. I guess I was so tired that I didn't notice." His response seemed to placate them, and the family resumed their meal. However, as he took another bite of his cereal, Jack had to suppress a groan when he realized just what that odor smelled like.

Ocean air and burning wood chips. Of course.

* * *

Even though she was a witch preparing for an epic magical showdown against an all-powerful demon, Fi still had to do math homework. The detestable textbook next to her, she grimaced as she copied the problem onto the sheet of loose leaf paper that she would give to Ned. She only vaguely remembered learning how to solve radicals, since she had been putting off her homework. Solving these equations would take her a while.

"It's not fair," Fi whined to her mother, who was writing some lyrics on the couch opposite her. When Molly looked up, Fi explained, "Shouldn't I get a pass on homework when I have to fight a demon?"

Molly chuckled. "Oh, yeah. Try explaining that one to Ned."

"I know. Still, it's not fair," Fi repeated stubbornly. Normally she'd manage to get a few more days out of him, but she already did that…a week ago. Another round of begging after breakfast that morning had only gotten her a warning that if her homework was any later, Ned would take points off her next math test – points that Fi _definitely_ couldn't afford to lose.

While she'd been half-joking, Fi had to admit that she actually did feel a little overwhelmed. Between the demon, trying to get a handle on her powers, and worrying about Candy…homework just didn't seem that important. But she knew in the grand scheme of things, she'd regret her poor grades when she saw her next report card.

That in mind, a part of her hoped that her and her mother's secret wouldn't stay secret for long. After only this short amount of time, she was having trouble with lying to everyone, specifically her brother, so much. She knew they were all worried…but she couldn't say anything to reassure them. However, Fi sighed, knowing she would just have to be patient. She couldn't push her mother, when Molly had been so unexpectedly accepting.

As she looked up, she noticed her mother giving her a look that said she noticed Fi's thoughts straying from her homework. "I'm getting it done," Fi insisted.

"Uh huh," Molly remarked. "Get this in your head right now – witchcraft isn't going to be a distraction when you get back to school. What will happen to your grades when you don't have such an understanding teacher?"

"I know, I know…" Fi muttered. But she wasn't too upset. After she and her mother beat the Ora demon, witchcraft probably wouldn't take up too much of her time anyway.

About to finally work on the problem, Fi felt a sudden surge of fright. Her head snapped up and she looked around the room, but she didn't see anything. But she was still afraid. She suspected it was because she had just been thinking about the demon, though she wasn't sure. "Mom…do you feel that?" she asked in a near-whisper. If her mother didn't get the instinct, maybe she was just overreacting to a random emotion

Molly raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

So her mother didn't sense it. That should have made Fi feel better, but…her heart was starting to speed up, for no reason. "The gem bags are in every room, right?" Molly nodded in confirmation. After they dried off all the potion-infused gems that morning, they came up with the idea to fill some unused jewelry pouches Molly had with a couple handfuls, and hide two pouches, one for each of them, in every room of the house. That way, if demons did attack in any given location, they wouldn't be caught unarmed. Also thanks to their vision, they each practiced the _Adeinio Bacia_ spell many times. A quick search in the book revealed the transport spell…or how they were supposed to focus their power so that they could transport, since there wasn't an actual spell. That one was still a little weak, but they could use it if they were cornered.

Thankfully, Jack had stayed out most of the day before to do his homework at the Bells' house, where Ned would be close by in case he needed help. At the moment he was there again to get feedback on the paper he handed in earlier that week.

She realized that Molly was still looking at her, expecting an explanation. "Oh…it's nothing. Had a little…déjà vu feeling, I guess," she managed to reply, though her heart was pounding so fast and loud at that point she could barely hear the words.

Despite her intense anxiety, Fi lowered her eyes to start her homework, when movement outside the backyard doors caught her eye.

_Oh no._

As the black shadow began to fly through the doors, Fi threw her books aside, launched herself at her mother, and pushed her out of the way. "Mom, look out!"

No less than ten demons flew into the living room. They were the ones in their visions – black clouds with a blank gray circle of a face, like smaller versions of the one that had shoved Fi off the roof.

As the demons descended, the two witches quickly regained their balance and prepared to fight. Fi ran to the fire place and grabbed the couple of gem pouches they had stashed there, and tossed one to Molly, who caught it before the demons could knock it away. Fi and Molly yelped in terror when the demons started shooting the beams of light they had seen in their visions. However, they managed to grab a couple of the gems.

In her panic, Molly missed, but Fi managed to destroy two demons at once. The formerly transparent masses turned into an explosion of ash and sparks of light, which quickly faded. "Hah!" she cried, then counted the other demons, which had scattered after the attack. "Two down, eight to go!"

"Fi, move!"

Molly's warning came a second too late. A demon blasted her with laser-like light. It sent her flying across the living room and into the couch. It toppled over her so her legs were trapped. "No!" Fi heard her mother shriek. As she lied there in pain, Fi watched helplessly as her gem pouch skidded over to the glass doors. The left side of her stomach hurt like a small yet intense burn where the laser had hit her.

Revenge fueled Molly's next throw, and the demon that had attacked her daughter turned to ash within seconds. Another came at her quick, but she used the _Adeinio Bacia_ spell. As it turned out, the laser had the same effect as the gems. Only six demons remained, but it was enough that they could be easily cornered if the demons converged.

Which is what they did when Molly rushed down to Fi's side and pushed off the couch. Fi used her mother's offered hand to pull herself up, but after she did, they found themselves surrounded. Fi grabbed a few gems out of the pouch that Molly still held, but she hurt her arm when she hit the floor, so her throw was sloppy. Only one made contact, and even worse, the one only grazed the demon's side. Apparently, on direct contact would destroy these demons.

They hurled some more gems and tried to separate the demonic wall around them, but they just managed to kill two with the less-than five gems left in the bag. When they first entered, the demons seemed to be surprised that the witches were armed, as after Molly and Fi let lose their fire, the demons had scattered in confusion. As the battle wore on, however, they became better at dodging the gems. They were also aiming for either higher or lower than the witches' arms so the _Adeinio Bacia_ spell couldn't be used so easily.

Contrary to Fi's previous, hopeful belief, this battle taught her that demons were definitely not stupid.

Left unarmed, Molly and Fi were pushed towards the foyer, further away from the pouch Fi had dropped. There were four demons left, and they didn't have any ammo on them other than a spell that wasn't totally effective. While it had seemed like a good idea at the time, Fi realized that there was no way they could focus enough to transport. The demons would roast them the second they dared to close their eyes. Fi spotted a gem that had scattered all the way across the room and threw it, and killed one of the demons. But there were still three remaining, enough to close the witches in a circle.

Panicked but using all of her will not to show it, Fi chanced a glanced at her mother…and instantly wish she hadn't. Molly had grabbed onto Fi, raw fear in her expression, tears threatening. She must have recognized their desperate situation as well. Meanwhile, the demons were ready for a total K.O., the circular tip of a laser showing in their "stomachs" as they prepared to fire…

And then they all exploded into light and ash, one by one.

As the smoky haze left behind cleared, the witches could see Jack standing next to the overturned couch, Fi's pouch in his hand. He lowered his other arm after the last throw, a hard expression kept on his face. Then, before his family could say a word, he hurled the empty pouch to the side and stormed back out the sliding glass doors.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

His fists still clenched tight in the pockets of his jacket, Jack blankly stared out at the man-made lake in Hope Springs Park. After…whatever that was, he'd stormed out, but then he realized he didn't know where to go. In no shape to be around people in general, he couldn't go back to the Bells'. So he went to the one place where he could be alone for as long as he wanted, and no one would bother him.

He desperately needed that time to figure out what the hell happened back there. One of the reasons he'd run out was because he knew he'd need a good, long while to explain it on his own, without his family's ridiculous paranormal stories. But no matter how many times he replayed the scene in his head, he couldn't come up with a logical explanation. At first thought, the dark blobs could've been holograms, but then they turned to ash. Real ash. Some of it was still on his jacket.

There was that, and…he'd felt fear. Real fear. That instinctive fear that socked him hard in the stomach every time his family was in trouble. While he'd been leaving the Bells' anyway, if he was honest, he'd admit that the fear was what made him leave at that precise moment. What had made him run home as fast as he could even though there was no reason for it.

Maybe that was part of the whole knight thing. After all, a knight's role in life was to protect. He'd always considered himself his family's protector, especially since they seemed to get into so much trouble. Maybe there was more to it than being the clichéd "man of the house."

So if he _was_ born to protect his family…what, exactly, was he protecting them from?

There was the possibility that an actual, human person was after his mother and/or sister, for whatever reason. But why the elaborate set up? Nothing made sense…first Fi was pushed off a roof, then she was attacked by some…things at home. Why would anyone go after a sixteen-year-old girl like that? She never did anything to anyone. In fact, she spent most of her free time on the road helping the weird people she met. Who would be against that?

Jack let out a groan of aggravation when he came up with an answer he didn't like. Of course, he didn't _want_ to believe that some evil being was after his sister. While it was an ugly thought, he almost wished the attacker was human. That way he'd know to call the police. But this was totally new territory. Even if, dare he think it, he did admit that something paranormal was after Fi…would he even be able to help her? As far as he knew, reincarnation didn't come with any freaky power he could use.

"Oh, God," Jack muttered to himself. "This is it. I'm going crazy." He paused. "See? I'm talking to myself and everything."

Frustrated, Jack leaned on the back of the bench and closed his eyes. He wasn't even surprised when another "dream" immediately followed.

_Some important local businessmen had just left when Thea rushed into the room and shut the door behind her, her eyes wide with fright. Jerrard was at her side in an instant. "What is it, Thea?_

"_We didn't destroy all of them," Thea said as she rushed to the side of the room. He fell into step with her. "We thought we did, but one got away," she continued. "And I ran out of gems. We should be safe though as I have some extra in here."_

"_You make no sense to me, woman," Jerrard spat. He knew it was harsh, but his temper tended to spike when he was confused._

_Thea knew this, however in her current state had no patience for his irrational behavior. "I'm talking about the demons, of course," she snapped back as she flipped open a trunk. "On that note, you best make yourself scarce. Mortal weapons are no use against the paranormal."_

"_You expect me to leave my wife to defend the house alone?" Jerrard sputtered. He could not live with himself if he left a woman to battle evil by herself. Sure, he had no such supernatural gifts as she had been given. But he was her protector, in every sense of the word. He could not accept that he was meant to stand by, totally useless, while his love fought._

_Husband and wife stared each other down for almost a minute. Finally, Thea tossed him a leather pouch full of gems. "Throw them at the demon, and it will be destroyed."_

_As Jerrard caught the pouch and readied himself for battle…_

Jack jerked awake, his eyes wide after the lesson he'd been taught. "Yeah, yeah, I get it," he mumbled to whatever greater power was sending him the dreams. "I'm supposed to help protect my family, embrace my knight 'heritage,' blah blah blah," he muttered resentfully.

Though of course he didn't _want_ to believe in the paranormal, he couldn't deny that his family was in danger. He supposed he could somehow manage to ignore what had happened and go back to his regular, denying self. But he just _knew_ that his family was in immediate danger and they might be seriously injured, or worse. And he'd never forgive himself if that did come to pass. His sense of duty easily overpowered his refusal to believe.

Besides, witnessing that battle had nearly forced his eyes open anyway. While it seemed impossible, an entire lifetime of intense denial had been completely contradicted in only minutes. Sure, if he didn't believe his family was in danger, he might've dragged this emotional trauma out a little more. He'd probably would've been moody for weeks afterwards, refusing to speak to his family, moping around the house. But that stupid little protective instinct told him there was just no time.

That in mind, Jack reluctantly got up from the bench and began to walk home at a slow pace. He was _not_ looking forward to confronting his family about this. But at least, after his dream, he had a better idea of what was going on. Those black shapes must have been demons, because the gems Thea used were the exact some ones he'd seen Fi use, then used himself.

Wait. If those were the same gems, and the black shapes were presumably the same demons, then…

Jack stopped mid-step, his eyes wide.

Oh, God. Witches. His sister, and…and his _mother_…and possibly…

A reincarnated knight with possible witch powers. Oh, God, he was a freak.

Maybe, once this was all over, he could claim temporary insanity and be done with it.

* * *

Her son had saved her life.

She didn't know how, exactly. One minute she and her daughter were about to be blasted into oblivion. Then the next, Jack appeared like…well, like a knight in shining armor, determined to save his family even though he had no clue what was going on. She was so proud, so grateful…but also worried. After all, an actual demonic attack was hard for _her_ to take in, and she'd already been adjusting to the idea of magic for a while. Even _Fi_ was understandably shaken up, and the argument could be made that she was actually somewhat _used_ to these kinds of supernatural confrontations.

That in mind, Molly was _extremely_ concerned that her son was out somewhere having a nervous breakdown. She'd wanted to run after him, but she'd been so stunned speechless, unable to move. Fi was much the same way, otherwise she would've gone after him too. Molly could only hope that he'd just gone to the park or some similar place where he could be alone for a while.

She couldn't just wait around for him to show up, though. It would drive her nuts. So what was she doing? Cleaning up the demonic ash that covered the living room. Also in need of a distraction, Fi had volunteered to help.

"You know," Molly began, simply because she was sick of the quiet. "I never thought just cleaning would be so incredible. But here I am, trying to get _demonic ash_ out of my couch cushion."

Fi chuckled. "I guess even witchcraft has a not-so-glamorous side to it," she joked as she wiped down the coffee table with a sponge. She paused. "Remind me to look up a cleaning spell."

"That might come in handy," Molly agreed. She frowned at the soiled couch cushion. "Especially if this stain doesn't come out. I'll have to tell Irene that I've started smoking cigarettes." Molly tilted her head as she gave the idea some consideration. It _would_ explain any black marks they missed.

Instead of laughing at the joke, Fi glanced up at her in surprise. "You mean…you're not going to tell her yet?" The question was asked with a subtle note of anger. "Even though Jack knows now?"

Molly hesitated. She hadn't been thinking about that when she'd said the offhand remark. But Fi had a valid point. Of course, Jack would be more than happy to keep the secret, and theoretically they could hide it from the Bells for as long as they wanted. To be honest, Molly _really_ didn't want to tell them, because doing so would undoubtedly cause total chaos between the two families. While Irene was the calm counterpart to her own occasionally irrational behavior (which was why they worked so well together as manager and recording artist), Molly really didn't think Irene would be calm enough just accept that magic existed. And it wouldn't be fair of Molly to expect that from her.

In order for their friendship to survive the unbelievable secret, Molly would just have to deal with the fallout, and wait for Irene to come around. She wasn't sure she could do that.

At least, not yet anyway. She _had_ promised Irene she would tell eventually.

Upset by the thought, Molly sat down on the couch and reluctantly faced her daughter, who took a seat in the club chair across from her. "I know you don't want to keep secrets, Fi. And that you never cared what anyone thought of your beliefs. I so admire that. But…I'm not that brave, baby," she confessed. "If Irene…doesn't take the news well…and I lose her as a friend…I don't think I could handle it."

"But Mom, if you don't tell her, you might lose her anyway," Fi reminded her. "Hasn't she been worried sick about you for the past few weeks? You start lying to her on a regular basis, she'll know. She's smart like that. And then won't only be worried. She'll be angry too."

That was another valid point, one Molly hadn't really considered. Irene had already confronted her several times on the issue, in the space of only a couple weeks. Could she reasonably expect Irene to stick around if the manager knew that Molly was always lying to her? Knowing how much Irene valued honesty, probably not. Heck, she'd been mad for days when she found out that Molly hadn't told her about Carey dropping out of college.

So maybe it was better to just tell her, then. That way Molly could just deal with it right away, instead of being scared for years, wondering when Irene will become fed up with the lies. Molly sighed. "I guess you're right, baby. It might be better to get this over with now."

"And it might not be _that_ bad," Fi said. At Molly's incredulous look, she explained, "Come on, you and Irene have been best friends for what, twenty years? She's not going to abandon you just because you're a witch." Fi then sighed. "Unfortunately, I haven't been best friends with Candy for that long. But I'm going to tell her anyway. Both because she deserves to know, and because I don't want to lie to her either."

Molly gave her a reassuring smile. "Whatever happens, you'll be able to handle it. Now _that_ is one thing I know for sure." Fi smiled back, but neither of them felt any kind of confidence.

The moment was broken when Jack returned. Fi noticed first, then slightly nodded in his direction to tell her mother to turn around. Understanding in her eyes, Molly whirled around as she stood up to face her son. "Jack, baby, I…" she began, then realized she had no idea what to say.

Jack stared them down for a long moment, his eyes unblinking. Finally, he said, "You're witches, aren't you?" No accusation, no anger, just…defeated acceptance.

Their mouths open in shock, Molly and Fi could only stare back while he waited for confirmation. Fi managed to close her mouth and swallow nervously. "Why…how…" she began.

"That doesn't matter," Jack interrupted, his tone harsh. "Just answer me."

It took all of Molly's willpower not to lower her eyes as she replied, "Yes, baby. I'm so sorry."

She expected Jack to storm out again. He surprised both of them when he slowly nodded. "All right then," he said, no emotion in his voice. "I want to help with…whatever you're up against. But after that, I want nothing to do with this stuff, ever again. Okay?"

While Fi was in too much shock to protest, Molly managed to answer, "Okay."

Then Jack rushed past them and went up to his room.

* * *

Early for work as usual, Irene had her cell phone held up to her ear with one hand while she flicked on the light switch with the other. As expected, the studio was empty. She'd learned a long time ago that musicians were not prompt. "Are you getting here soon, Mol?" she asked into the phone as she began settling in. "I wanted to go over some things with you."

"_Oh, I'll be there…a lot sooner than you think."_

Irene froze at the odd answer. "What's that supposed to mean? Jack came over just as I was leaving to drop off some homework. He said you were still getting ready."

"_That's right, I was."_

"Then how can you possibly get here faster than the twenty-minute car ride it takes from your house?" Irene retorted, aggravation in her voice. "Come on, Mol. I haven't finished my coffee yet. I don't have patience for mind games this morning."

"_Sorry, I just… Irene…there's no one in the studio, right?"_

Bewildered, Irene simply answered, "Right. But to be fair I'm a little early."

"_Oh, yeah. Um, I'll see you in a minute."_

And then she hung up.

"A minute?" Irene asked aloud as she stared at the phone. "What the hell is going on…" she muttered to herself as she took off her jacket and started up the coffee maker. She still had the store-bought coffee she'd quickly put on a table when Molly had called, but she had a feeling that she'd need the second cup soon enough. To be honest, Irene wasn't exactly happy with the singer's odd behavior lately, but they did have a record to make.

Of course, she was more worried as a best friend than as a boss. She'd gone over the Phillips' house over the weekend, and there had been a definite tension in the air whenever all three family members were in the room. Molly seemed constantly on edge, as if there were a million thoughts running through her head at any given moment.

Actually…Molly seemed a little nervous around _her_. Irene thought Molly might calm down when the two were alone, but actually she seemed to be worse. Not looking Irene in the eye, choosing words carefully, and a constant cryptic note to Molly's voice had Irene even more concern than she had been. There was no question that something _big_ was going on, and that call just confirmed it.

Given Molly's confession about believing in the supernatural a few days ago, Irene wasn't sure she even _wanted_ to know what was going on anymore. But in a way, she really did…just so she could stop coming up with her own troubling explanations, each worse than the one before it.

Her cell phone rang again. And again, it was Molly. Irene let out a deep breath before she answered. "What now?" she demanded, much harsher than she intended. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Mol. I'm just so sick of…"

"_My behavior, I get it. I promise it's going to end now. It's just…please, keep an open mind. And go in the booth."_

"Mol? What the hell?" Irene snapped, but found that the call had ended. Frustrated, she went into the recording booth, even though she felt ridiculous. Nothing was going to happen in it. She was the only one in the whole studio.

At least…she was for the moment. The air around her seemed to get wavy, as if a TV show was transitioning to a dream sequence. Irene blinked and tried to convince herself she was just seeing things. But then, once the strange sensation stopped…Molly was there.

Irene jumped back, then blinked again. Nope, still there. "What…how…" She reached out and poked Molly's arm to confirm that the impossible had, in fact, happened, and it wasn't just some kind of trick. But there she was, the real Molly, standing right there in front of her.

"Hi," Molly said sheepishly. "I told you I'd be here in a minute."

Spooked, Irene backed up, a wary eye on her best friend. "How the hell did you do that?" As hard as she was trying to think of an explanation, she just couldn't do it. There was no logical way to explain how Molly had _appeared_ in the recording booth, like…like…

Her eyes widened. "Magic," she whispered.

Relieved, Molly nodded. "Yeah," she replied quietly. "I'm…Fi and I are…"

"Witches," Irene breathed in disbelief. She'd heard Fi mention it once in a while, but she never, _ever_ thought it could actually be true. "What…how…"

Molly sighed. "It's a long story, but…it's been in my family for generations. I guess I knew it all along, but I just refused to accept it. I've been in denial since I first started getting visions when I was young."

_Oh my God,_ Irene thought. _Magic…witches…visions…this is not the Molly I know._ She stared blankly for a second, then asked, "What changed?"

"Everything," she said. "During that visit to see my parents a few weeks ago…it all just came out. Fi was determined to find some answers. She got them. And so did I, even though I wasn't asking." She paused. "When your own mother tells you she used to practice witchcraft before she came to America, when a family friend uses magic right in front of your eyes, when…" She hesitated and lowered her eyes. "When you talk to your own grandmother's _ghost_, it…it affects you."

"Oh…my…God. You're serious…" Irene whispered. She wasn't sure what to feel. Disbelief, sure, there was plenty of that. But…angry, confused, concerned….it was all there too. For a brief second she wondered about Molly's mental health. But she couldn't do that without questioning her own. After all, Molly had just appeared right there in the studio, when Irene had just been talking to her on the Phillips' _home_ phone (as she'd seen on the caller ID). Besides, she had faith in Molly's sanity…and her previous complete hatred of the paranormal her daughter researched. If _Molly_ believed in magic now, then she must have seen the real thing.

And it frightened Irene. A lot.

Anxiety on her face, Molly insisted, "Irene, I promise, I'm still the same person you've known for twenty years. I've just…learned something new about myself." At Irene's incredulous look, she added, "Don't get me wrong. This _totally_ freaks me out."

"All right, there's _some_ of the Molly I know," Irene muttered, her arms crossed.

Molly chuckled. "Yeah, I mean, I pretty much had a breakdown during that trip. I don't _want_ any of this. But…my daughter's in trouble, and she needs me. That made it easier to just…move forward without thinking too much about it."

"In trouble? With who?" Irene asked, bewildered. Then she got it. "Or with what, I guess I should ask."

"Yeah," Molly answered, fear in her voice. "I know this is hard to believe, but…demons. They're after my baby." She lowered her eyes again. "I'm scared, Irene. Really scared. If this thing beats us…we might not…well, these…demons…they could wipe us all out. We lucked out a few days ago, but…" She paused to let out a deep breath. "The point is, Irene, I might not have much time to work things out with you. I realize this is too much to ask, but I just _need_ you to accept this right now. If you want to freak out on me later, go ahead, I don't care. But right now…I'm scared to death and I need my best friend to be there for me. Please, Irene."

She was telling the truth, Irene could see that much. She'd heard that intense fear before - right after Rick had died. And Molly truly thought that she could suffer that kind of horrible loss again.

So…it was enough for Irene. While she doubted she would ever completely accept the whole magic thing, she believed that Molly needed her support. After twenty years of friendship, Irene wasn't going to let her down. Even if it meant believing that her best friend was a witch.

"Okay, one question," Irene began. When Molly tentatively nodded in consent, Irene grinned. "You're not going to start wearing a black conical hat, right? I think that would be really bad for your image."

Molly burst out laughing from relief while Irene gave her a reassuring hug.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A spiral notebook and pen in hand, Fi mentally repeated the written notes in her ongoing effort to memorize them. It wasn't schoolwork. It was a list of spells she'd copied from the spell book, both the actual words and what magic resulted from them. Before the demon attack, she had tried to get her assignments done just to keep up pretenses…and because she hadn't known how immediate the danger she currently faced was. But after a second attempt was made on her life in the same month, she knew the situation was intense. She had to put everything else aside so she could focus on survival.

Of course, this was much easier since she didn't have to appease teacher Ned anymore. Her mother had told Irene the Big Secret that morning, then proceeded to tell Ned as well when he arrived. Fi was proud of her mother, and also relieved that _both_ were taking it so well. Ned was a laid-back, accepting guy, so Fi wasn't really surprised that he was just going with it. But though Irene could be like that too, Fi had expected her to resist more. However, when the adults got to the Phillips' house after the recording session that day, Fi had definitely sensed some tension there. So chances were good that at least Irene wasn't as okay with the secret as she claimed.

Well, at least Fi _knew_ how Irene felt.

Also that day, Fi finally told Candy what was going on. As per Fi's usual style, she didn't sugar-coat anything…and in the process may have accidentally scared her best friend. Though shocked, Candy had taken the "my best friend is a witch" secret well. She didn't storm out of the room until Fi tried to tell her about the demon. Apparently, positive, upbeat Candy didn't want to believe that evil, all-powerful beings existed.

Too upset to concentrate, Fi put the book down on the front porch swing next her. After an awkward dinner with the Bells, she'd needed fresh air. Of course, it didn't help that amazed Carey wouldn't stop asking her or her increasingly annoyed mother to do some magic every five minutes.

As she considered going back inside, she turned to the sidewalk when she noticed someone approaching her. It was Candy.

Fi let out a relieved breath. Hopefully this meant Candy had calmed down. _Or she's just politely telling me to my face that she wants nothing to do with me anymore_, Fi thought.

Finally, Candy had climbed the front porch steps and turned to face Fi, anxiety on her face. "Hi," Fi greeted, unsure of what else to say. She grabbed her notebook and patted the empty space. "Have a seat…if you want."

"Don't worry, I'm not scared you're going to turn me into a toad or something," Candy joked as she sat down next to Fi, who gave her a small smile. "I mean, it's still you. And don't you remember? I've been a _huge_ Sabrina fan for years. I know not all witches are bad."

That got Fi to chuckle. "Thanks, Candy. That means a lot to me." She paused. "But…that wasn't what I was worried about."

"Right, the whole 'powerful demons exist' thing," Candy said, a rare frown on her face at the thought. "I'm not going to lie, Fi. The idea _really_ scares me."

"Yeah, me too," Fi confessed.

Candy nodded. "I could tell when you told me about the demon. That's why I realized…sure, I _could_ refuse to believe, cut ties with you, and pretend I never saw the spells you showed me. But…that means that _you_ would have to face this demon without your best friend. And that's just not right."

Overwhelmed with relief, Fi hugged Candy, who returned it. "Thank you."

"Hey, don't thank me," Candy said as they broke apart. "I'm your best friend. I'm supposed to stick by you through bad grades, breakups…and demonic battles, apparently." Curious, she picked up the notebook. "Question…how can you possibly focus on homework right now? Or are you just desperate for a distraction?"

Fi shook her head. "Neither. It's not homework, exactly." She took the notebook back and pointed to the notes. "I'm memorizing battle spells."

"Oh…well, it's more interesting than math problems. Can I help?" Candy asked.

A smile on her face, Fi stared at her for a brief second. After how badly Candy had reacted when she was told, Fi couldn't believe how well her best friend was adjusting to the situation. Asking to help with spell memorization was like proof of that. "Yeah, sure." And even though Candy wouldn't demand it, Fi added, "Thanks."

* * *

For once in a _long_ while, the various relationships in Molly's life were all going well. She actually _wasn't_ fighting with her daughter…in fact, they were getting along better than they ever had. While Jack hated that magic had become so prominent in their lives, he wasn't angry at his mother for it, so they were actually getting along well too. And after weeks of tenseness between her and her best friend, Irene had been willing to put her disbelief aside for the sake of their friendship.

Too bad she had to be facing imminent life-threatening danger in order to be on good terms with all of her loved ones.

Still, she'd managed to somewhat enjoy dinner with everyone since the secret was finally out. Sure, Carey got on her nerves a bit, but at least he loved the idea that his close almost-family members had magical powers. And Ned…while she knew the news shook him up a little, he didn't freak out, just became concerned when she explained about the trouble her family was in.

She was so thankful that she still had her loved ones around her at this time. It really helped her just focus on the battle.

The thought instantly brought back all of the guilt she'd felt when she first accepted her heritage. His obsession with the paranormal had often come between them. The fights they had about his investigations would last long into the night after the kids had gone to bed. But no matter how many times they fought, it was always the same. She wanted him to stop, and he wouldn't. He wanted her to believe, and she wouldn't. Sure, their problems could get more complex at times, but those concepts were at the root of each one.

It just didn't seem fair that he wasn't around to see her like this. She would've loved for him to be with her when she finally opened her eyes. He would have so enjoyed introducing her to the world of the paranormal. And he would've been able to train his family so they could all take on the demon.

"Rick…" she whispered, a tear already in her eye. "I miss you. I want you to be here, to see what your family has become. You so deserve that. The demon who took you from us will pay. I promise."

As she lied there in bed, she realized that when she had first come upstairs, she had actually been looking forward to sleep since everything had gone well that day. But yet, her yearning for Rick kept her awake. Finally after an hour, she managed to drift off.

_She had never seen this place before. Rolling clouds were under her feet, a sky of varying dark purples around her. Lightening struck down and thunder sounded from an invisible source since the horizon seemed to be clear. After a second, she realized that the strange land did seem familiar. Though not exactly the same, it reminded Molly of the plane ride to New York, when she had seen the sunset above the clouds. Though this felt much more dark and violent._

_A little cold since she was still in her old black satin nightgown, Molly hugged herself as she waited. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but she somehow knew she was there for a reason, one that would soon be revealed to her._

_Sure enough, a voice she recognized instantly floated through the air. _

"_Molly." _

_Without hesitation, she replied, "Rick?"_

_And then he was standing in front of her, a small smile on his face. "Oh my God," she whispered. She then threw her arms around him, and nearly melted when he wrapped his around her. She never felt so…right, so complete, as when she was in his embrace. This was the exact same feeling she had experienced when he was alive. This was Rick. "It's you, you're really here."_

"_Oh my God, I've missed you so much," he said as he gently kissed her. _

_That felt the same too. Overwhelmed, she simply stared, taking in his features, renewing her already sharp memory of him. She didn't ask questions. They would lead to answers, which might mean the end to their precious time together. He seemed to share the same thought, as he also just returned her stare, love and longing in his eyes._

_Reluctantly he separated himself a little, though he still kept his arms around her. "Molly, we need to talk. About the demon you're about to face."_

"_I know," she replied, tears in her eyes once again. "But…I think about you. All the time. And lately, I've been going over everything, and…I'm so sorry. I was stubborn and close-minded and…so mixed up about everything, I…"_

_Rick kissed her again. "Molly, please, I haven't been waiting thirteen years for an apology. If anything, I owe you one for pressing too hard." She was about to argue when he shook his head. "But we don't have time for this. I can only use the Medius for so long."_

"_Medius?" Molly asked. Then as she looked around, it clicked. "Oh, that's where we are, isn't it? What is this place?"_

"_It's the plane that separates the mortal world from the spirit one," Rick explained. "Spirits use it as a portal between worlds. But some beings, like the Ora, reside here and try to police it for their own benefit. This is where the battle will take place."_

_Scared, Molly moved closer to him. "Right here?"_

"_Not exactly, but around here. It's the source of the thunder and lightening," he answered. "A spell in Fi's book will take you to your enemy, Cael."_

"_Cael? I thought we were fighting the Ora," Molly replied, her brow winkled. The fear was already so strong, she didn't like the sudden confusion on top of it._

_Rick nodded. "He is an upper-level Ora. The smaller demons he sent after you the other day were also Ora, but less powerful."_

"_But still terrifying," Molly pointed out as a tear finally slid down her cheek. "My God, Rick, if we couldn't defeat those, then…"_

"_Don't think like that," Rick said as he hugged her closer. "It was your first attack, and you were unprepared. You just need to practice tapping into and using your power effectively."_

_The thought calmed Molly, if only a little. "So we can practice until we're ready?"_

"_Not exactly. No more than a week, I'd say," Rick answered. At her surprised look, he explained, "Cael will keep going after you until you're weak enough where destroying you himself won't be a problem. And he won't be expecting you if you go after him right away. Catching him off-guard will really give you an edge."_

"_Cael sounds like a coward. That makes me feel better," Molly remarked, which made Rick chuckle._

"_Most demons are a little cowardly, though I think 'self-serving' would be the better term," Rick replied. "Molly, trust me. If you and Fi tap into your full power, it will all be okay."_

_Molly looked him in the eye, and felt reassured when he appeared to really believe his words. Finding out the battle location made something click in her mind. If he was there with her, then he might be fighting with them after all. "You'll be with us, won't you?"_

_Again, Rick gave her a gentle kiss. As he broke away, he whispered, "Of course. Always."_

The landscape faded, and Molly found herself staring up at her ceiling. She blinked, surprised the "dream" had ended so quickly. "See you soon, Rick," she whispered, with the hope that he was still listening. A happy smile on her face, Molly then lied back down for a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Still yawning, Jack rubbed his eyes as he headed into the kitchen. He'd like to believe that the past couple of days had all been just one weird dream. But…he just couldn't believe it was all a dream, no matter how hard he tried. His stupid instincts kept reminding him of the danger his family faced, how they needed to prepare themselves.

Well, there were his instincts…and then there was his mother reading Fi's spell book while she ate her bowl of cereal at the island. "'Morning," he greeted. When she looked up at them, he remarked, "Hey, remember when you used to read the _paper_ during breakfast, like a normal parent? I miss that."

Molly chuckled as she gave him a quick hug. "I miss that too," she assured him. "Want me to make you some cereal? I don't have to be at the studio for another hour."

"Yeah, thanks," Jack said as he took a seat at the island. He sighed. "I can't believe you're actually going to work during all this."

While she got his breakfast ready, Molly shrugged. "I can't exactly tell the band I need a demon break. Life goes on."

"'Demon break,'" Jack repeated in amazement. Then he put his head in his hands. "Oh God, what's happened to our lives?"

As she gave him his cereal, she patted him on his shoulder. "I ask myself that one all the time." She then turned to him, her expression serious. "We'll get through this, baby. I mean, I can't guarantee that our lives will ever be _normal_ again, but, after a while, I'm sure…" She hesitated. "…magic will just become part of our everyday routine. "If you think about it, my being a musician isn't exactly normal, but you're used to that, right?"

"There's a pretty big gap on the normal scale between 'singer' and 'witch,'" Jack retorted, but he understood what she meant. The pure _weirdness_ of the whole situation would wear off…eventually. But as for Jack personally, he didn't think he would adjust any time soon.

However, he could at least make an effort. He started to eat his cereal, and had to admit he was a little curious when he spotted the open page in the spell book. "Medius" was written in bold script letters at the top. "So…" he muttered, then asked in a joking tone, "Whatcha' readin'?"

Molly chuckled. "Oh, I, was uh…doing a little research. It's no big deal. I just wanted to discuss it with Fi when she wakes up."

About to take another bite of cereal, Jack paused and narrowed his eyes. He knew his mothers fake casual tone all too well. Instead of calling her on it right away, he pulled the book over to him and started to read. "Medius?" he asked, which caused her to turn to him in surprise that he'd actually asked "Says here that it's some kind of…spirit world." He paused. "That's where we have to go to fight the demon, don't we?"

"We?" Molly replied, shock in her tone. "No, baby. You don't have access to your power…I realize you want to help, and that's great, but…"

His anger spiked, and Jack unintentionally let some harshness into his tone. He jumped up from his seat and went over to her "So I'm supposed to just stay behind and wait? Don't you know me at all, Mom? Sure, I hate the whole concept of magic, but I've been accepting it's real so I could actually help. How can I do that unless I'm fighting with you?"

"Jack, no!" Molly argued. "I've already lost your father to this demon, and I might lose your sister. I can't lose you too!"

A retort was at the tip of his tongue, but then her words sunk in. Jack saw the anxiety in her eyes – she'd realized her slip too. "Oh my God. This demon, he…" She slowly nodded, tears threatening. He was too angry to be sympathetic, though. "And you weren't going to let me fight?" he seethed. "You had no right to do that!" he shouted. "This is my battle just as much as it is yours and Fiona's!"

"You don't understand!" Molly snapped, her anger rising as well. "If you go into this battle, you're going to get yourself killed! Fi and I might not be able to protect you!"

"That's fine! I don't care! All I know is, I deserve to take down this demon just as much as you do! And you know it!" he spat, his breath heavy.

They stared each other down for a long moment, then finally Molly stormed out to the living room. Emotionally drained, he put his hands down on the island for support. When he did, his fingers brushed the edge of the spell book.

"_Thea, I want to help you," Jerrard was saying. He and Thea stood in the main room of the manor. She had a pouch full of prepared gems in her hand. "These…what did you call them? Ora demons? They are a threat. To you. So I must step in."_

_Though it seemed like she wanted to protest, Thea reluctantly nodded. While Jerrard looked on in curiosity, she put down the bag, then reached behind a wooden chest. Much to his amazement, she pulled out one of his older swords. Only…it seemed different somehow, though he couldn't put his finger on why._

_The sword held out with both hands in front of her, she said, "I feared you would feel this way. So I enchanted this sword. Now you will be able to slay demons as you would mortal enemies."_

_Slightly hesitant, Jerrard took the sword from her…then felt a small surge of magical power. The sword itself glowed for a brief instant. He nodded in approval. "Thank you."_

Startled, Jack regained his balance when the vision ended. However, instead of irritation, he was actually grateful for the guidance.

Now all he had to do was find a sword.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"I can't look at this book anymore," Molly whined to Ned and Irene as she put her head in her hands. "It's to the point where I don't even know what I'm reading."

Ned chuckled. "I said the exact same thing _many_ times in high school. Although back then, I actually didn't know what I was reading."

The joke was a welcome relief. As Molly laughed, she leaned back against the wall behind her seat at the kitchen table and closed her eyes for a brief moment. It was the weekend, and she'd promised Fi as well as herself that she would spend the whole two days preparing for this battle. But studying witchcraft was still studying…and therefore not exactly exciting. Even though Molly had insisted she needed to focus, Irene and Ned had come over for lunch to check in on her.

Irene gave her a sympathetic frown. "You _have_ been memorizing spells for a while. Isn't there anything else…witchy you can do?" She then paused.

"Repeating the sentence in your head, not quite believing you'd just said it seriously?" Molly guessed.

With a sigh, Irene joked, "Wow, you _are_ psychic."

"Irene, I'm the one memorizing spells for a supernatural battle against evil, and even _I_ can't believe it," Molly said. Though Irene claimed she accepted the sudden revelation, she was clearly still more than a little uncomfortable with it. Molly had been going out of her way to show that she completely understood Irene's hesitation.

Since a slight tension had developed, Ned spoke up. "You know Mol, some people learn easier by doing it, rather than reading it in a book…if you catch my drift." Like Carey, he'd been awed by molly and Fi's displays of power.

"Oh, no," Molly protested, much to Irene's relief. "No way. It's just too strange! At least I'm familiar with studying a book."

A rare solemn note to his voice, Ned argued, "All right, I was kidding before, but Mol…you are going to have to fight. To use a little analogy…I wouldn't have been able to hold my own during my biker days if I hadn't worked out in a gym once in a while." He then looked down at his stomach. "Admittedly, I probably should get back to the gym one of these days, but that's beside the point."

"As much as the idea of magic freaks me out…he is right, Mol," Irene said. "Memorizing spells is great, but what's the point if you don't know how to use them?"

Molly sighed. Fi had tried to convince her of the same earlier that day, before heading into the backyard to practice with Jack, then Carey when he came over. While Molly knew that physical practice was inevitable, she just hadn't been ready. But if they were going to attack next week, as Rick had advised in her dream, she needed to put that queasiness aside and jump in.

At her friends' insistent stares, Molly got out of her seat, closed the book, and put it under arm so she could carry it. "I guess I'll go join Fi then. You two coming?"

"Oh yeah!" Ned said as he and Irene followed. At their amused smiles, he explained, "I've been helping with special effects at concerts for my entire adult life. You're really surprised to find out that I think magic is cool?"

Molly chuckled while she stepped into the backyard…then froze when she saw her son fly across the backyard, then land with a _thud_ on the grass. At first concerned that a demon had attacked, her fear turned to annoyance when she saw her daughter's extended hand and sheepish expression. "Fi!" Molly chided while she dropped the book and ran to see if Jack was all right.

"Sorry!" Fi called, sincere guilt in her voice. "Jack knows I didn't mean it. Right, Jack?"

Though he winced as his mother helped him up, Jack called back to a sister, "Yeah, it's okay, Fi. At least this means your aim is getting better."

"Wait, you were _aiming_ for him?" Molly exclaimed, even more angry at her daughter.

"Oh man, Molly, you should've seen it!" Carey exclaimed as he walked over to them. "Jack was all like 'hit me with your best shot.' So Fi just _screamed_ the spell, threw out her hands…and he went _flying_!" He let out a sigh of contentment. "Completely _awesome_."

Since Molly didn't look that much more assured, Fi went over from where she'd been practicing. "Don't worry, Mom. Since Jack's coming with us, he wanted to see if he could avoid a magical attack. Turns out he can…" She then smirked. "Unless the caster has good aim, that is."

"Hey, that was _one_ shot after like a dozen," Jack retorted. His ego was clearly bruised. "If I'd been a demon, you would've been…"

Molly held up her hands between them. "Hey! Stop it, you two. We all need to work on focusing a little better, I can tell you that much."

"Actually, aiming is really not that hard once you practice a few times," Fi replied. "Want to try it, Mom? I found the spell off the Internet." At Molly's surprised look, she added, "Hey, I've been saying it all along – you can find _anything_ on the web. Anyway, come on, it's a spell that lets you shoot a blast of air at an opponent. It's fun! Especially when Jack's the target…"

Molly shook her head. "I refuse to practice witchcraft on my son. That just seems _wrong_." She then self-consciously looked around the backyard. Given the spacious Colorado neighborhood, the houses were spread far enough apart that they definitely had privacy. But still, using magic in the open backyard like this made her nervous. "Are you sure no one can see us back here?"

"We're fine, Mom," Fi assured her. When Molly still seemed doubtful, Fi argued, "We've been back here for an hour, and no one's even bothered us. If anything, someone would've come over once they saw Jack airborne." She said that last part with a barely-contained laugh, so Jack glared at her.

Since one worry had been somewhat smoothed over, Molly anxiously glanced at her son again. "I still don't like that you're going with us, Jack." When Jack started to protest, she quickly added, "I realize that nothing I do or say will stop you, I've…_very reluctantly_ accepted that. But I don't like that you don't really have any means of attack besides the gems we bring with us."

"About that…" Jack began hesitantly. "I have an idea. But I'm going to need some help."

* * *

Six people lined up in front of a huge white door. Five of them were totally confused. Though Jack wasn't facing those next to him, he could sense the others' bewilderment. Which was understandable, since the Bells' garage didn't _seem_ like somewhere one could find weapons to use in a magical battle.

"Okay, before you all start asking questions…" Jack began as he went over and opened the garage door. "I do have a logical reason for dragging you all here." At their raised eyebrows, he added, "Well, as logical as any of this can be."

"In that case, I'm going to just go ahead and ask what all of us are thinking," Irene spoke up. "What could _anything_ in this garage have to do with a magical battle?"

Ned chuckled as they all headed into the completely full, messy garage. "Yeah, the only thing magical about this garage is that we keep managing to find room for more stuff."

"Hey, speaking of, you guys haven't cleaned any stuff out for the past few years, right?" Jack asked.

The very idea made Carey laugh. "Since they always ask me or Clu to do the cleaning, you can be sure that's a definite _no_."

Much to the others' surprise, Jack sighed with relief. "Good. So it should still be here." He then started searching through piles of accumulated junk.

When he didn't offer further explanation, Fi prodded, "And 'it' would be…"

"A sword," Jack explained, distracted by his search. Silence followed, so Jack looked up…only to see the others' questioning expressions. "Right, guess I should explain…"

Molly nodded. "That would be nice."

Jack sighed, not sure how to begin. "Okay, you all know about the whole knight thing, right?" The Bells had found out over the last few days, when the topic of Jack's involvement in the battle came up as a topic of discussion. "Well, I kind of had another weird dream…thing a couple days ago. Thea enchanted Jerrard's sword so he could slay demons. I'm thinking we could apply the same technique in present day."

"That's awesome! I'm so up for enchanting," Fi exclaimed.

"Wait a minute," Molly said. "What makes you think you're going to find a sword…here?"

He'd expected his plan to raise some eyebrows, but to Jack, it made perfect sense. "Remember a couple years ago when we went to see Aunt Melinda in that Macbeth production?" he began. "And…ironically enough…how Clu and I were playing around with all that knight stuff? Well, Clu liked this prop sword so much that Aunt Melinda let him keep it since they had extras."

Carey wrinkled his brow. "But how's a play sword going to slay a demon?" He paused, then added, "He asks seriously…"

"Been there," Irene said with a laugh.

Amused, Jack explained, "Dude, it'll be _enchanted_. It won't matter if I use an umbrella or a pool cue instead. I just figured that a weapon resembling a real sword might be a little more intimidating. And you know, it'd go along nicely with the whole knight metaphor."

As they took in his theory, Irene shrugged. "Well, you're welcome to it. But good luck finding anything in this disaster." She then glared at her son. "Which you _will_ be cleaning over the next week."

"But this place is a wreck!" Carey protested. At Irene's insistent glare, he sighed. "Sure, Jack gets to go off and fight evil…I'm stuck cleaning out my garage."

"Yeah, life's tough," Ned teased. "Maybe you'd be happier stuck looking for an apartment where you actually have to pay rent."

As they all laughed and talked some more, they continued to look through the piles. After a half hour of searching, Fi called, "Hey, I see it! The hilt's sticking out of this pile…but I can't get it out." The group hurried over to the far corner of the garage where she was calling from, to find a grey hilt sticking out of some beach chairs that had been thrown haphazardly into a pile. "Ned, you probably can."

Ned stepped up and started to pull, but the chair legs were locked in such a way that they trapped the sword. When he took a break, Carey gave his best effort, but the sword couldn't budge. Finally it was Jack's turn, but instead of just tugging as hard as he could, he looked down into the pile to see how it was stuck. After some wiggling, the sword came right out. "Got it!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

"Yeah, yeah, you're a regular King Arthur," Fi teased. "Come on, let's get back to practice."

"You know, I _am_ kind of like King Arthur," Jack remarked as he gave the sword a test swing. It hit a bunch of bike helmets on a card table, causing them to scatter on the garage floor. "Okay, not yet, but I'll get there." He stayed back to clean up as the others laughed and filed out of the garage.

* * *

That night, Fi and her mother sat in their living room, the "sword" on the coffee table between them. Jack had gone up to his room early to relax before bed since his presence wasn't needed for the enchantment. And besides being tired, both witches could tell he _really_ wasn't in the mood for any more magic, especially after the poor guy had been tossed around for most of the day. At first it was just Fi doing the tossing, but after some prodding and gentle teasing from Jack and Carey, Molly had reluctantly practiced sparring with her son as well.

"Where is she?" Fi asked nervously.

Her arms crossed on her lap, Molly answered, "She had to make sure Da was still asleep first. She said she'll be here soon."

"I don't know if I'm totally confident about this," Fi confessed, which made her mother look up at her in surprise. "How will we know if it works before we get there? I mean, there aren't any test demons we could practice on." At her mother's perplexed look, she sighed. "I guess I'm just annoyed that Jack would rather use this than his own power. He's got to have some."

Molly shook her head. "Fi, we went over this with him many times. One, we don't know for sure if he has power. And two…he doesn't want to deal with this once this battle is over, Fiona. I know this is hard for you to accept, but for him, this is a one-time thing." When Fi began to protest, she cut in, "Now, whether it actually _will_ be is another matter. But for now, this is his decision. We have to respect that. We've both learned that pushing someone is not how you handle this situation."

Though Fi still wanted to argue, she knew her mother was right. She _had_ learned her lesson about pushing people into accepting the paranormal. But it was so frustrating to watch her brother outright deny the power he was born with just because he didn't want to deal with it.

Lost in thought, she nearly jumped out of her skin when her grandmother _appeared_ next to them, the exact same way the box had. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as she jumped up. "Hi, Grandma!" True, they'd used the same spell to transport Molly to the recording studio. But it was still surprising to see her grandmother use magic so easily.

Molly was also staring at her mother with wide eyes, but managed to somewhat recover. "Uh, hi Ma."

"Hello, loves," she said as she hugged both Fi and Molly before she sat down on the couch next to her granddaughter. "I'm so happy I can visit you like this now. Soon maybe I'll just start popping in whenever Colin won't notice."

"Okay, Endora," Molly teased. Fi laughed as Kathleen bristled at the _Bewitched_ reference. "So how do we do this? All you said was it'd be stronger if three generations of witches cast the spell together."

Kathleen nodded. "Right. It's not complex, but we just have to focus on feeding magic into the sword when we say it." She sighed. "Although it'd be better if Jack accepted his magic as well…"

"That's what I've been saying!" Fi exclaimed, happy she had a supporter.

But Molly shot an annoyed look at her daughter while she replied, "Ma, we discussed it with him, and he doesn't want his power. That's it."

"Fine," Kathleen grumbled. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out three pieces of paper. She handed one each to Fi and Molly, then kept one to herself. "That's the spell, written the traditional language, Latin. It basically says, 'We infuse this sword with our power. May it protect the good and slay the evil.' Simple, but we need to repeat it over and over until the sword is full of magic, which can take several minutes. Your concentration may be tested."

"We'll be fine. Come on, let's get this over with," Molly said, weariness in her voice and expression.

Fi had to sympathize. After a full day of practice, Fi would probably be in bed already if they weren't doing this. Actually, she'd been about to turn in when her mother got off the phone and told her that Kathleen would be there in a few minutes. Molly had tried to convince Kathleen that they should wait until they were more alert, but Kathleen had insisted they cast the spell that night since Colin had gone to bed early and would never notice.

The thought of sleep made Fi yawn. "Sorry," she said. "Long day. Like Mom said on the phone, we've been practicing non-stop."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kathleen replied with a proud smile. "It makes me just a _bit_ less nervous about your battle." She then became serious for a moment. "I wish I could go with you."

As Molly began to protest, Fi cut in, "Why can't you?" At her mother's glare, she added, "Well, she does have more experience with this."

Kathleen sighed. "There are all sorts of rules that apply to magical confrontations. You three are vindicating a loss…" She then paused and glanced at Fi. "…and defending yourselves from an active threat. In the eyes of magical law, those are justifiable reason for attack. But if I went, my part in the battle would be seen as unprovoked, which might cause other Ora demons to then get revenge on me."

"Wow. I guess we still have a lot to learn about magical law," Fi remarked.

"Besides," she continued with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm so out of practice, it would take longer than a week to get this old witch back into shape." After a second of thought, she asked, "You are making your move soon, right? If you wait too long…"

"We know, Ma. He'll just keep coming after us," Molly interrupted. When Kathleen gave her a surprised look, Molly lowered her eyes and quietly explained, "Rick told me."

Kathleen slowly nodded in understanding. "Oh," she said, the emotional implication of that all too clear. "Well, then…let's do this, shall we? I'll read the spell once for pronunciation, then you two join in. Focus on infusing the sword with your power."

They each placed a hand on the hilt, and Fi joined her family in reciting the spell. It was her first time concentrating on a spell so much, and it was…different. She could feel the power flow from her to the sword She didn't look at her mother or grandmother, just kept her gaze on the sword. She blinked in surprise when the sword emanated a golden glow.

Her and Molly looked to Kathleen, who nodded. "The spell is complete. You both did very well."

"That's good," Fi said, then yawned again. The brief power drain had left her even more tired than she had been.

"I'll let you two head up to bed, but I'll see you again before the battle." She stood up to leave, then glanced toward the stairs. "Actually, I'm going to go say hello to Jack before I leave. Hope I don't give him too much of a shock."

While Molly tried to protest, Fi just shook her head. "You know, I actually feel a little bad for him. I mean, hasn't he been through enough in one day?"


	10. Chapter 10

****

Chapter 10

Molly knew she was going to regret this. But it was just so tempting. And besides, considering she might not live past the next day, she had a right to indulge.

After only a second's hesitation, she started piling her plate with cheesy nachos from Fiesta Taco. Then she moved onto the take-out fried chicken, and topped her plate off with a slice of pizza. Chances were good that anxiety wouldn't be the only thing keeping her up that night. Briefly she tried to remember if she still had some Tums left in her medicine cabinet.

Without another thought on the subject, she ate a nacho._ So good_, she thought. But still there was a concern. "Are we sure that junk food is a good last meal to have before a magical battle?" she asked the group from where she sat at the head of her dining room table.

At the other end, Kathleen gave a careless shrug as she bit into a burrito. "Probably not, love," she said around the mouthful of food. "But all else considered, a tummy ache is the least of your troubles. I say dig in."

The group laughed, and continued eating the take-out feast before them. Irene sat at Molly's right, Ned next to her, Carey and Clu (who had visited for the weekend) next to them. Fi was to Molly's right, then Jack, then Candy, who had been invited to the feast since she was part of the secret. Irene and Ned had generously surprised the Phillips family with a send-off party of sorts, filled with Molly, Jack, and Fi's favorite take-out treats. It made sense, since no one cooked well enough where anyone would have a favorite home-cooked meal.

Kathleen had "popped in," much to everyone else's surprise, to wish her family well one last time, and so had been invited to dinner. Poor Clu had almost fallen over in shock, but he adjusted quickly, and declared magic to be "totally awesome." They had planned on telling him anyway, of course. Without giving any details, Irene had suggested that Clu visit for the weekend. The rest had just fallen into place when Kathleen appeared.

"So what's this demon thing like anyway?" Clu asked as he worked on a large slice of pizza. "Is it like a devil with horns and hooves, or…"

At the Phillips' unnerved looks, Irene sent him a warning glance. "Let's keep discussion light for now, shall we? No talking about demons over dinner."

"Never thought we'd be adding demons to a list that also includes farts, underwear, and politics," Carey remarked while he reached for the plate of fried chicken.

As they all chuckled, Candy said, "Seriously, though…" She glanced at Fi. "You guys are going to make it out of this. You've been through so much already. And, Fi, let's face it…you know how to handle trouble."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence…I think," Fi replied with a weak smile.

Molly could sense her daughter's nerves, and her son's as well…maybe not as much, but they were there. Just the thought of what they were going to do the next day made her stomach churn. But where there was fear, there was also determination. She'd make damn sure that this demon never bothered a single member of her family ever again. And she'd make sure her children lived through the ordeal. Those were the only reasons she was able to get over the paralyzing fear of her own possible death.

For the rest of the meal, they all chatted about their past week, how recording had gone, and plans for next week…even though they might not happen. Though the tone was purposely light, Molly just couldn't lose herself in the illusion. So when dinner was over and the food demolished, she shooed the kids and Ned elsewhere while she, Irene and her mother cleaned up the dishes. At least then she wouldn't have to keep up a brave front should she feel like breaking down.

But even before she picked up the first dish, Irene shared a concerned glance with Kathleen, who nodded. Though Molly wondered what that was about, she ignored it in favor of carrying some dishes back to the kitchen. After she'd placed them in the sink, she turned around to find Irene behind her, a worried and fearful expression on her face.

Tears threatening, Irene began, "You _are_ going to get through this, Mol. You _will_."

Then Molly understood. Pep talk time.

"I know what you're trying to do, Irene," Molly interrupted. Already she could feel her own tears start to form. "But the raw truth is, I might _not_ get through this."

"Mol – "

"No, it's the truth," Molly insisted over Irene's look of protest. "There's no guarantee that…that I'll make it. There's no guarantee that my kids will make it. And frankly, that scares me so much more than the thought that _I_ might not either." She paused as the tears finally came, and took a second to wipe them. "In fact, Irene, if they come back and I don't…"

"Don't you dare even – "

"I have to! Because it_ can happen_," Molly nearly shouted. She allowed herself to calm down, then said, "And if it does, I want you to take in Fi and Jack. You know you and Ned are their aunt and uncle, in every way that counts."

Though she clearly wanted to argue some more, Irene just nodded. "Of course."

The simple reply helped Molly continue. "There's some stuff I'm leaving to others, like to Ma and John. It's all in my will, and you already know where that is." The reality suddenly hit her full force. Tears poured out. "Oh my God, Irene, I don't want to die," she sobbed, her head in her hands.

In an instant, Irene was by her side, pulling her in a comforting hug. "You won't," Irene insisted. "You won't. You just won't."

"God, I hope so," Molly mumbled through her tears while she returned the hug just as tightly. Then she continued sobbing into her best friend's shoulder.

* * *

As he'd expected, yet another dream came that night. He didn't bother with being annoyed and hoping the dream would end soon anymore. At this point he just sat back…figuratively speaking…and watched the show.

_The couple stood in the same front room he had seen before, but this time, they seemed to be preparing to head into battle. Jerrard was almost done getting dressed in full armor, while Thea filled a bag with supplies. As he finished with his armor, Jerrard gazed at his wife, worry on his face. "I wish you would stay here. Now that I have a sword and those gems, I'm sure I could handle it." At her glare, he explained, "I don't want you to get hurt."_

"_We don't have a choice on this matter," Thea insisted. "I am your wife, but I am also a witch. You will not be able to defeat it without me. If you tried, then…_I_ would lose _you_. Seeing you go off and not come back…I would rather die at your side. Then I would know I'd done everything I could."_

_Though he was far from happy with the argument, Jerrard nodded. Of course, it was still his deepest wish that she stay home, even at the cost of his own life. But bringing her with him would serve the greater good. While he'd insisted he go alone, he wasn't confident that he could slay this demon. With her at his side, they had a better chance of that. And, while maybe not for the greater good but still a desirable outcome, there would better chance of them both returning alive._

_Their supplies prepared, Thea placed the bag over her shoulder, and handed Jerrard his sword. "Let us go then," she said as she took his hands in hers. Together, they chanted, "__Per nostrum vox nos patefacio ianua ut Medius."_

_As soon as the last word was said, they disappeared from the room._

Hours later, Jack walked into the kitchen. Even though it was only ten, Jack could tell it was going to be a beautiful Saturday. For a brief second, he wished he could spend it hanging out with Clu and Carey, instead of heading into battle.

Neither his mother nor his sister were there yet. Just as well. They hadn't set a specific time to go into hell, so he figured they were grabbing as much sleep as they could. He probably should've slept later too, but it was hard to get back to sleep after his "dream." True, it hadn't been particularly disturbing, but it had definitely packed an emotional punch.

Though it had been a conversation between husband and wife, Jack felt the emotions applied to his own life at the moment. Admittedly, like how his mother hadn't wanted him to fight, he would much rather his mother and sister stay home. Of course he knew it was ridiculous. They were the ones with power (presumably…he didn't even want to think about what power he might have). But he couldn't just reason away his protective instinct. He'd had it his whole life. It wasn't going to go away just because of logic. Though, again like his mother had to do, Jack had to accept that it was their fight just as much as it was his.

To make himself feel better, Jack reminded himself how hard they had all trained over the last week, and before that. His mother even cleared some of her schedule to make room for more. They were _so_ going to kick this demon's ass.

He tried to keep that in mind when, as he began eating a bowl of cereal, his mother and sister entered, anxiety on their faces. "'Morning," Jack greeted as they began to get their own cereal. "Rough night?"

The women each shot him incredulous looks. "You've got to be kidding," Fi retorted. "The visions kept coming. Both for me and mom."

Just then he noticed how…tortured, his mother looked. _It's not fair_, he thought, his heart going out to her. _Visions, on top of everything else? _Last night, he suspected she broke down to Irene, since when she came back from the kitchen, her eyes were red. They'd all seen it and suspected. But it was understandable given the near-impossible task they had to face. "Mom? What did you see?" he asked, not sure if he really wanted to hear the answer.

"I…I don't know," Molly began as she started up the coffee maker. "It was all…jumbled." She sighed and glanced up at him. "I do know that I saw your father."

Fi nodded. "So did I. I think we basically had the same flashes…Daddy was in this place full of purple clouds…then he was gone." At Jack's surprised and worried expression, she explained, "I don't know how, he just vanished. Then the fight…black shadows, coming out of the clouds…" The growing fear made her stop. Molly put a reassuring arm around her daughter's shoulders, though she seemed afraid as well.

_Don't let it get to you_, Jack warned himself. _They're just visions. Doesn't mean any of it's going to happen._ Still, he asked, "Anything come in clear? Specifically anything useful…like how we destroy it?" Sure, they had offense strategies, but no definitive strike that would take it down.

Regretfully, Molly shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I guess they were just…previews, for later."

"Well, whatever happens, we'll deal with it," Jack insisted with confidence he really did feel. They had to be confident going into this. It was the only way they would win. He looked down at his cereal, realized he had no stomach for it, and put his bowl in the sink. "I'm going to go take shower and get ready. Let me know when you want to head into Medius."

* * *

The pouch was a slight weight against her ankle, but Fi strapped it on with some masking tape. They all were wearing light jackets, each outside and inside pocket stuffed with similar pouches full of gems, but Fi decided that a little paranoia couldn't hurt. After all, they were the only weapons she and her mother had.

Well, besides all of the spells they had memorized and practice. With a few simple words, Fi could conjure a fireball, send a punch of air, extinguish a demonic flame with a wall of water. And those were just the element spells. The new knowledge gave her more self-confidence than she'd ever felt before.

She hoped, wished, prayed it would be enough.

Her family was gathered in the living room. After a few hours prolonging the inevitable, they seemed to come to a silent, mutual agreement to just get it all over with. At first it was suggested they bring backpacks filled with gems and other supplies, but that idea was quickly rejected, the reasoning being that any extra weight would just hold them back. Last night, in an awkward moment, Molly asked Kathleen if they should have thought to bring a gun, but Kathleen assured her and Fi that the weapon wouldn't do any good. Much to their relief, since the idea of using one had made the witches queasy.

And as for Jack…he was still adjusting to the sword attached to his belt. Some more searching in the Bells' garage earlier had provided them with the sword's sheath, which he'd hooked in the belt that Kathleen had found in her attic. She'd also found some other sword belts she supposed her mother and her coven had used, so she gave two to Molly and Fi. Though the idea of actually stabbing something, even a demon, also made Molly and Fi queasy, they still equipped the belts with a couple of Ned's sharpest fishing knives. When they expressed curiosity at why ordinary knives would have an effect, she elaborated that using the knife was like channeling their power into one blow, and would work in a pinch if they couldn't think of a spell.

As she adjusted her belt, Fi remarked, "Surreal, isn't it?", which made Molly and Jack look over at her. "Well, for you guys, it's the idea of magically attacking a demon. But for me, it's this. I guess I always knew I'd have to take down some major evil one day…and I thought I would be on my own. Well, with Daddy's help, but…not with you guys. Not with my whole family. The fact that you're both here, now, doing this…it's amazing."

After a few seconds of silence, Jack surprised her by chuckling. "Fi, when we stop in a new town, you can't even go sightseeing alone. You really think we'd let you go fight evil by yourself?"

While they all laughed softly, Molly added, "He's right, baby. Of course, accepting all this has been far from easy, but…you need us. That's enough."

"Thanks guys…I love you so much," she said as she choked on some threatening tears. Her mother quickly rushed to her side and wrapped her in a hug, then her brother did the same. That got her to calm down and return to her former confidence. "On that note, let's kick some demon butt."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The surprising emotional effects of Medius were working Molly's already-jumbled nerves. While she hadn't expected the ghost plane to be a tropical paradise, she'd hoped she would be able to adjust to whatever her surroundings turned out to be. But, at the moment, the sea of purple mist and cold gray sky weren't her problem. The actual barren background she could handle.

However, she wasn't sure how to deal with the constant awareness of being "not quite real," as Fi had put it. That was the best description anyone had been able to come up with/ Even though they had transported to Medius, body and soul, it still felt as if they had left a large part of themselves back in the "real world," and had suddenly become spirits themselves. Which was unsettling, since they were still in their solid forms.

Fi suggested it was simply their bodies adjusting to the new plane of existence. Because this world wasn't part of reality, then neither were they. Since that sounded right, they accepted it and tried to focus on the task at hand.

But Molly's thoughts refused to stay focused. For some odd reason, she couldn't get "Another World" out of her head. Fitting to the situation at hand, maybe, but not helpful. Or so it seemed. She had thought the lyrics might be a clue at one point, she had temporarily given up on the lead, and never bothered to pick it up again.

"On the lost horizon, the goal kept shrinking down in size…" she sang softly as she trekked behind her children. "It's been night so long now, he doesn't think the sun will rise…" Though they had no idea where the demon was, Molly and Fi realized that their instincts were telling them where to go, a distinctive tug in one particular direction. With no other options, they decided to follow it.

At her gentle singing, the kids paused, then glanced back at her. Molly shrugged. "Sorry, it's stuck in my head. Don't know why. I'll stop if you…"

"No, it's okay," Jack assured. "It's nice. And better than the quiet."

When Fi nodded in agreement, Molly continued as they pushed forward. "And he says, 'this can't be all there is, there must be something more…"

She trailed off as, for the first time since they arrived, something appeared in the distance. Nervous, the three quickly huddled together at the sight of the large, dark cloud. Jack gulped. "I think that's it."

"No, it isn't," Fi insisted. "The demon that attacked me was large and shadowy, but it also had three gray heads. That isn't it."

Irritation on his face, Jack retorted, "Maybe it can take on different forms."

"You're both right. In a sense."

All three froze when they realized that neither had spoken. In shock, then turned to find Rick standing behind them, And not as a transparent ghost either, but solid, like he'd been in Molly's dream.

"Dad."

Everyone turned to Jack, who's suddenly pale face contrasted against the gray sky. Though Rick was overjoyed to see him, Jack didn't appear to return the sentiment. "How do we know this is really you," Jack demanded, his voice emotional. "And not the demon playing mind games on us?"

Anger in her words, Fiona spat, "Jack, don't talk to him like that! Of course it's Daddy."

"No, Fi, Jack's right," Rick admitted with a nod of approval at his son. "And we could do this one of two ways. I could list everything I know about you, like that you're allergic to shellfish, or that you wanted to be a professional baseball player when you were four." While Jack's eyes widened slightly at the correct information, Rick finished, "Or you could just listen to what your heart is telling you."

As she stared in silence, Molly sympathized with her son. If she hadn't been so tuned in with her abilities, and so could just _sense_ that Rick was who he claimed to be, she would share Jack's cynicism. It was hard enough believing in the paranormal. Even harder believing that something as good as reuniting with a lost family member could be possible.

Finally, tears in his eyes, Jack threw his arms around his father. "I miss you," Jack whispered, though Molly could still hear.

"I know. I've miss you too," Rick said as they broke apart. "And I'm so proud of you."

The simple words almost caused Jack to break down. Since he was in front of his family, he forced the tears back. Rick went on to hug his daughter, then quickly kissed his wife. Molly almost had a breakdown herself, but like her son, remained strong.

"What are you doing here?" Molly asked, though she really didn't want to question her husband's miraculous presence. "Are you here to help us fight?"

Rick shook his head. "More like advise. Those clouds are Cael's power source, but you can only target them after you defeat the army of lower demons he has with him."

"Cael? I thought we were facing the Ora," Fi replied in confusion.

"As you've learned, Ora is a type of demon. Cael is this one's particular name," Rick informed her. "Cael will have all his resources with him, and might start sending them after you in waves as you get closer to him…"

Rick trailed off, and the others looked on, as the black cloud started to grow bigger and closer. The family stood together when the shadow started to morph into Cael, exactly as Fi had seen him on the rooftop. Terrified, Molly had no shame in holding on to her husband's arm for comfort.

"Or," the middle demon head snarled, "he might be annoyed by the ghost who seems to have forgotten the battle rules of Medius."

* * *

The instant Cael appeared, Jack felt more anger than he ever had before. Fear was there too, he supposed, but it was barely detectable. The demon he currently faced was the reason, the single reason for his family's hardships. It was the cause of his father's death, his mother's grief, and his sister's life-threatening danger.

Ready to fight, Jack held on to the hilt of his sword. All of his will power was channeled into not stabbing it into the demonic blackness. Not yet, anyway.

"You're lying," Jack snapped harshly before anyone else could reply. "Whatever it is, you're lying."

The head that had spoken turned to Jack, and regarded him with little more than annoyance. "Stupid mortal. You protest, yet anyone informed would see that I am correct. Including your father."

"I'm not fighting with them," Rick insisted. "I'm just advising them. There is no law against that."

Cael's low, raspy voice seethed, "This is not your battle, Rick Phillips. You already lost yours thirteen years ago. By Medius decree, you are not allowed to be here."

"Oh, so launching a surprise attack on him while he was alone in his car was a fair battle?" Fi spat, her voice high with outrage. Though also furious, Molly managed to hold her back when Fi started to hurl an attack spell at the demon.

Molly almost joined in the attack herself when the demon actually smirked. "There are no rules against it," Cael replied simply.

His heart pounding, Jack's grip on the sword's hilt became tighter and tighter. As much as he knew his mother and sister should control themselves, he could feel his anger slowly building. If the demon didn't stop talking to them soon, Jack wouldn't be able to stop himself from attacking. And he doubted his mother, sister, or his father would be able to hold him back. That in mind, he thought it was best if he kept his mouth shut through the exchange, unless he had constructive input.

Even Rick glared at the demon, barely concealed anger on his face. "That was an underhanded move," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "You even knew it was. And you also knew it cost you. You lost all respect in the demonic world, didn't you? Sneaking up on a lowly human like that because you couldn't take me in a head-on battle. Your personal resentment towards me blinded you. Honestly, I'm surprised that you've maintained your status as Ora."

"You tell him, Dad!" Fi cheered.

Even though there was no outward sign of it, Jack could just _sense_ the demon's rage increase. "What does that matter?" Cael sneered. "I still won, did I not? You are dead."

"Maybe. But so is your influence," Rick easily retorted. "How are you even strong enough to fight my family now? I doubt you were able to gather enough forces."

The demon's reply came as a furious yell. "You have no right to question my power when you died at my hand! And you insult me with your belief that two amateur witches and a mere mortal are to be my downfall! Rick Phillips, be gone! The Council of Medius will not support this interference!"

When a resigned look came over Rick's face, Molly shook her head. "Rick, no! He has to be wrong!"

There was a quick moment of silence, then Fi spoke up, her voice emotional. "It's true…" she nearly whispered, tears threatening. "Remember what Grandma said? She couldn't help us either because it wasn't her battle."

Already tense, Jack felt himself snap, but couldn't stop it. "Who's side are you on, Fi? Do you _want_ him to leave?"

"Jack, don't be a stupid – "

"Cut it out!" Molly ordered at both of them, and Fi stopped mid-retort. "I know it's hard to hear Jack, but…she's right." Her eyes were also watery as she glanced at her husband. "She is, isn't she?"

Reluctantly, Rick nodded. "Yes. The Council of Medius probably won't rule in our favor on such a delicate issue. Which means other Ora demons may go after you for retaliation. I can't risk it."

"But Dad – "

"Jack, I'm sorry," Rick insisted, a plea for forgiveness in his voice. "You will see me again. I promise."

Jack could do no more than nod in understanding. His old cynicism questioned how that could happen. But before, he never thought this moment could happen either. So for now, he felt safe in allowing himself to hope.

While the demon looked on in smug triumph, Rick hugged each of his children, then kissed his wife good-bye. As his family watched, doing their best not to cry, he walked away until he disappeared.

Raw emotion turned to fury when the family simultaneously turned to the demon. Before Cael could open his mouth to taunt them some more, Jack harshly snapped, "Let's just get this over with."

There was an annoying hint of amusement in the demon's voice when he sarcastically replied, "As you wish, mortal."

At the words, Jack drew his sword. He wasn't sure what happened after that.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Fi briefly wondered if she had been knocked out. In an instant, everything turned completely black. She couldn't even see her mother and brother anymore, which terrified her. Then, an instant later, it was as if someone turned the lights back on.

When she saw the reason for the blackness, Fi wished the lights had stayed off.

The dark must have been a power surge, because instead of Cael, they were surrounded by an entire army of the same type of demons that had attacked in her living room. Maybe a hundred of the black masses circled around them.

"Oh boy…" she whispered in fright. So far, they weren't moving yet. Fi could only hope it was for dramatic effect, rather than gathering their energy.

Her eyes wide with terror, Molly whispered back, "Okay, we barely survived _ten_ of these things. How exactly are we supposed to handle this?"

Though Fi tended to agree with that logic, she kept her mouth shut to prevent herself from furthering her mother's doubt. Jack was the only one with enough courage to hold the sword in a threatening stance. "One demon at a time," he said confidently.

_That's not a good idea_, Fi thought. _Since I doubt _they _have that same line of thinking._ A quick shared glance with her mother proved that the other witch feared the same. But why try to bring Jack down? As she grabbed a fistful of gems out of a pouch in her pocket, Fi nodded. "Let's do this."

Fi's thoughts were so chaotic after that, she could barely keep track of what was going on. But all she knew was that once Jack swung out, the evil mob descended. Then she was so busy holding her own, she couldn't see through the blackness how her family was doing. Shadows flew around her so fast she almost grew disoriented. The good news about that, though, was that she could see when one stopped, an important advantage since that was the one ready to fire. And after a while, she noticed that all those demons seemed to be getting in each others' way in their desperate effort to get close the witches and Jack. It seemed that Cael had made an error by hitting them with so many forces at once.

The thought miraculously started a clear idea in Fi's mind as she continued flinging gems and spells, at the same time she dodged (sometimes just missed) the lasers she couldn't deflect. Maybe her father's retort to the demon _hadn't_ been just that. It had been a strong boost of confidence as well. He was telling them that their enemy wasn't the unbeatable threat it appeared to be. On that note, Fi supposed, maybe this wasn't impossible. If they could get a clear shot at Cael, they would win.

But they needed to get that clear shot first.

"_Reverto_!" Fi screamed as she, on instinct, spread her hands in front of her as several demons shot at once. Like she'd hoped, every single laser reversed course and destroyed its respective sender. Proud of herself, Fi grinned. She'd only been able to do that with one before. "Now _that_ was awesome!"

The coast clear for a second, she looked around for her family to help them. Her grin widened when she saw her mother holding her own like a pro. About to see if she needed help anyway, her heart sank when her brother's scream came from behind her.

"_Jack_!" she screeched when she saw him fall. Her mother saw it as well, and both made their way over to help him up.

While Fi took care of the demons surrounding them, Molly knelt by Jack. He was still conscious, but his right bicep was burnt. "I'm okay," he said through jagged breath. He stared at the blackened circle of skin where the laser had hit. Fi winced when she realized it might be like a third-degree burn, which she'd seen on a poster in a doctor's room once. Still, Jack insisted, "I can fight."

"Oh, God…" Molly cried, her face pale. She also seemed to recognize the injury. "Baby, please, stay down for a few minutes…"

But Jack started to get up, even as she tried to prevent him. "If I stay down, I'll be dead," he protested. She'd tied the ripped jacket material around the injury as a makeshift bandage, so Jack gave his sword a test swing. "I'm good." When both his mother and sister gave him doubtful looks, he insisted, "I am, really. I can fight."

Since they had no other choice, the three went back to fighting. Fi was much more somber and determined since her brother had been hurt. To reassure herself, she glanced back at Jack, only a little relieved to see him forcefully stab a demon right in the gut until it exploded. Maybe he could hold off the pain until he was out of danger, but she feared for when they got back home and he realized the full extent of his injury.

She couldn't worry about that, though. They'd only gotten through about half the army. Fi was already covered in small burns from lasers that had only grazed her, and her mother was suffering in the same way. And the burns felt like, well, just that. Some were larger and hurt more than others. Poor Jack seemed to have even more smaller burns, on top of the direct hit.

It looked like her confidence would not be returning.

Somehow they all made progress. Though every inch of her hurt, Fi felt hope as they faced the last five or so demons. Those were the hardest, as they had more room to fly around and take aim. Sick of the cat-and-mouse game, Fi finally snapped "_Congelo_" at the nearest demon. Much to her satisfaction, it froze in place. Then she took out her dagger and destroyed it with her focused energy.

"Ouch…damn it!"

Surprised at her mother's curse, Fi turned to find Molly clutching her side. It was scorched, but thankfully, not as bad as Jack's. "You okay?" Fi asked as she faced down another demon.

"Yeah, fine," Molly assured her, even while Jack looked at her with concern, clearly wanting her to nurse it for a second. She just raised an eyebrow at him and retorted, "I can fight."

Still irritated, Jack only sighed and returned to his current opponent. The demon dodged the first few stabs, but Jack finally sliced through it.

As they took down the last few demons, Fi noticed a pulsating black cloud of the corner of her eye. Since Molly and Jack were already closing in on the demons remaining, Fi fully turned around…and gasped. Huge black clouds seemed to be funneling up from the purple ones, thinning out until they puffed up again around the demon's three heads. The resulting clouds coated the gray sky around him, growing closer and closer to the current battle ground. Lighting struck, but only in the clouds closest to Cael. He also seemed to be absorbing the flowing electric energy around him, all six eyes closed as he inhaled and exhaled.

_He's doing something, obviously…soaking up power…but from where…_

Her eyes widened as all the information came rushing to her at once. She'd read about Malum in her spell book. Like Medius, it was separate plane of existence…but one for evil. It was why the Ora were all restricted to Medius, so they could be the first line of defense for more powerful demons below. Their titles also allowed them to absorb power from Malum in order to fulfill their duties.

Thoughtful, Fi stared at the clouds above.

…_yes, one day the sun will rise…_

"_Thania_," Molly shouted, her palm held out. A ball of flame shot from her hand, and turned the very last demon to ash. Relieved more than anything else, she knelt down on the ground and gasped for air, her head in her hands. "Oh, God. Oh God…we actually…oh God…" she sobbed.

After Jack sheathed his unmarred sword, he knelt beside her and gently patted his mother's back. "Come on, Mom," he said as he helped her up. "We can do this. You heard what Dad said. Cael isn't even that powerful."

"Thank you, baby," she said as she gave her son a fierce hug. Her tears slowed as the two approached where Fi was standing. After a second of silence, Molly asked her daughter, "What are you thinking?"

Fi shook her head to get out of her contemplative trance. "Coming up with a plan," she answered, one eye still on Cael. "You see those clouds funneling up? He's drawing power from Malum…the, uh, underworld, so to speak. We need to aim for that connection, not the demon. Well, maybe the demon, but only after the connection is broken."

"How, though?" Jack asked, though his tone indicated he was on board with the plan. "I could try cutting it with my sword. It might be like an electric wire."

Again, Fi shook her head. "The funnel is too wide. Even if Mom and I distracted him, he'd notice you hacking at his connection."

"Then what? We hit it with a spell?" Molly asked.

"Exactly," Fi said with a nod. She then gave her mother a sheepish grin. "Think you can put your songwriting skills to work here?"

Jack held up his hands. "Wait, wait, you don't even have a spell? Come on, just let me…"

Suddenly, Molly's eyes seemed to go black. Fi shushed her brother and indicated the sensation. They remained quiet until she snapped out of it.

An eyebrow raised, Jack remarked, "Welcome back."

"What did you see?" Fi asked as she dared to hope.

Molly smiled, then recited, "_We seek to avenge evil wrongs of the past, ensure a peace that will last, evil that beyond our curtain lies, will be broken by the sun we rise."_

After a second of appreciative silence, Jack commented, "That's some quick inspiration."

"I saw us casting it!" Molly insisted, encouraged. "We're going to do this! I _knew_ there were clues in the song!"

Fi was getting excited as well. They had a strategy, they had a spell. They only had to attack. They _were_ going to do this. "All right, we need to move. Here's what we do."

* * *

Worried for her brother, Fi glanced behind her, where Jack was serving as their distraction. Apparently, years of teasing her paid off, because he was an expert at taunting the demon. Which worked in Jack's favor, since he didn't have to fight with his injured arm as much.

"Never thought I'd say this," she muttered to her mother while they snuck around the demon to where the clouds were still funneling. "But I'm glad Jack is really good at teasing."

Despite the distance between them, they could hear Jack's taunts. "Come on, you big, powerless jerk. Take a shot at me." Enraged, Cael did, his beam thicker and more dangerous-looking than the lower demons'. But Jack leaped out of the way. "That's _really_ the best you got?" Jack snapped. "I'm starting to see why you don't get respect anymore."

Fi winced when Cael fired what looked like a dead-on shot, but Jack hit the ground and stayed there until the laser sailed over him. "Do you think his arm's okay? I know what he said, but it looked so…Maybe one of us should have gone with him."

Also concerned, Molly just gave her daughter a quick hug. "Honestly? No I don't. But people can handle more pain than they otherwise could when in danger. We'll just need to take him to the hospital when we get home."

"I'm glad you said 'when,'" Fi replied with a small smile. Despite the trouble they had fighting off the demon army, their plan had given them more confidence than they even had going into the battle.

"And…Jack will be okay," Molly said, more to convince herself while she also looked back at her son. "I wish one of us could have gone with him too. But two of us casting the spell will mean a greater chance of it working. Jack understands that."

Of course Fi knew the logic was sound, but she could still worry. She imagined her mother felt the same. "Then we can't let him down."

They cautiously approached the cloud funnel, careful not to get too close. They held each other's hand and began to chant, directing the spell toward the funnel itself. But to Fi, something didn't feel right, and she trailed off mid-spell. Instead of questioning her, Molly sensed it as well. "What are we doing wrong? Something's off."

"I know," Fi replied. Then she glanced at the clouds again, and she understood. "I think we're aiming at the wrong target. Suns belong in the sky."

Molly nodded. "Makes sense." They prepared for the spell again, their free hands held up towards the clouds near Cael. They began to chant in unison.

"_We seek to avenge evil wrongs of the past, _

_ensure a peace that will last. _

_Evil that beyond our curtain lies, _

_will be broken by the sun we rise."_

Some light broke through the clouds, but it was barely visible. Still, encouraged by the effect, they chanted it again. And again, their voices louder and more forceful with each repetition.

Bright rays of their power punctured the clouds one by one, until finally there was a near-blinding light. The humans did their best to shield their eyes, but the demon was caught off-guard. He fell to the ground, the rays singeing his body. As the light cleared, they could see that every last cloud was gone.

"It worked!" Fi cried in triumph. "We did it!"

But it wasn't enough to off the demon. Though severely injured, Cael was still alive as he stayed on the on the ground. Before the witches could come up with another spell, determined Jack simply took his sword with both hands, and stabbed the demon right in its center.

The resulting explosion threw the family too the ground, their arms once again shielding their faces, this time from the flying ash. There was a final flash of red light, a roar of thunder, then…

Silence. And the air was clear.

But still Fi's heart pounded as she and her family slowly picked themselves up. The thought that it could finally be destroyed…the demon that had tried to kill her…the reason her father was dead. Her family was finally safe.

With confidence this time, Fi nodded. "Now we did it."

Happy tears in her family's eyes, they all ignored their pain and held on to each other, allowing their relief overwhelming them for a moment before they went home.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

After going into a spirit plane and defeating a demon over the weekend, Molly wouldn't have believed that her life could ever go back to what passed for normal.

But, as she had started to believe, anything was possible. On Monday morning, she found herself back in the recording studio, ready to record another song. Of course, this was after resting from when they got home on Saturday straight through to Sunday night. They did take Jack to the hospital the second they appeared back in the living room. Even though the doctor had been confused by the slightly unusual burn, they convinced him that Jack had just been in the wrong place when an electrical wire fell. Fortunately, while there was a great deal of pain, they were told that Jack would heal as long as he kept the bandaged injury elevated for a few days to prevent swelling.

Hopefully that would be it. Though it was the correct treatment for a third-degree burn, they all wondered if Jack's particular injury could be healed as such. Molly and Fi so far hadn't been able to find out how a shot of demonic power's effects were different.

For the moment, all she could do was hope that Jack was feeling better back at home, where Fi was taking care of him for the day. Normally that would make the siblings argue, but after their near-death experience, they used the time as a chance to bond. Last time she called…about five minutes ago…Jack was coaching Fi on how to reach level five on some PlayStation game, the title of which Molly hadn't cared to remember.

The rest of the band wasn't due for another half-hour, but Molly had arrived early to refresh her memory on the song they were recording that day. After the turmoil of the weekend, she was genuinely surprised that she still knew the words. Completely relaxed for maybe the first time in months, she sipped her coffee as she sat in a comfy swivel chair.

She looked up when Irene walked in, the usual cup of coffee in hand. "Hey, Irene," she greeted. "I got here a little early to go over everything."

"Mol, what the hell are you doing here?" Irene demanded. But even as she put her coffee on the side table, she hugged Molly in greeting. She'd been an emotional mess of relief when the Phillips' returned victorious on Saturday, and she hadn't quite controlled it yet. "You should be home, resting." She quickly glanced at the open door, which she closed before whispering, "You fought a freaking demon two days ago, and you're at work now? Are you crazy, woman?"

Molly couldn't help but laugh. In a way, she felt the same. But ever since she'd accepted her identity as a witch, her sanity was becoming less and less of a concern. "I had to, Irene," she insisted. "While I wish I was home taking care of my son…"

"Who was shot by a demon," Irene interrupted with a sad shake of her head. "I'm glad you fried the evil bastard."

Again, Molly chuckled. "Me too. But like I was saying, I just _need_ to be in the studio again. To have something to do. If I stop and think…" Her hand moved to the side of her stomach. It still burned. Less than the initial injury, of course, but every once in a while there was a spike of pain. Since it hadn't been as bad as Jack's, she hadn't bothered to get it checked at the hospital, where she would have to come up with another excuse. It'd been enough to clean the sore and bandage it when they got home.

Her frown one of sympathy, Irene asked quietly, "How is it?"

With a sigh, Molly shrugged. "It'll heal." Thankfully, Irene couldn't inquire further when Molly's cell phone rang. "Hello? Oh, hi Ma….what, now? Come on, you popped in to take care of us yesterday…where's Da…" Molly let out another long sigh. "Fine."

As Molly put down her cell phone, Irene raised an eyebrow. "Incoming?"

"Yup."

"Man, I am so glad my mother isn't a witch," Irene remarked, then tilted her head in thought. "Even though I've called her one many times." At Molly's look, she added, "Not to her face, of course."

Before the conversation could continue, the air in front of them wavered, and Kathleen appeared. Still not used to it, Irene jumped slightly. "Hello loves," Kathleen said as she kissed each of them on the cheek in greeting. "I hope I'm not interrupting work."

"Like that would have stopped you…" Molly had to retort, but stopped at her mother's glare.

Irene laughed while she began to head for the door. "You two probably want to talk, so I'll just…"

"Oh, no, didn't mean to cause you any trouble," Kathleen quickly insisted, then turned to her daughter. "I wanted to chat about the celebration dinner on Friday at your place." At Molly's reluctant look, she added, "And it _is_ happening. Our family has won a major victory. We are celebrating."

Irritated, Molly said, "And we couldn't talked about it over the _phone_? That is how _normal people_ have a conversation!" Sure, she was more open to her witch identity. But she didn't want her mother to make a habit of just stopping by whenever she wanted.

"Well, yeah, because normal people can't magically transport…" Irene trailed off at Molly's annoyed glance in her direction. "Yeah, um, like I said…I'm just gonna go…" The blonde grabbed her coffee off the table, then dashed out the door.

Molly shook her head and turned towards her mother. "Look, Ma, I love you, but…"

"Oh, I know, love. I just had to pop in to talk with you. And not just about dinner," Kathleen assured her. At that, Molly calmed down and indicated that her mother have a seat in the folding chair across from her. When Kathleen did, she said, "I wanted to let you know that…I told your father. About everything. I was worrying about you and the kids so much that I couldn't hold it in." When Molly became panicked, she added quickly, "Don't worry, his heart is fine. It just…shocked him a wee bit that I was practicing again. And that you and Fiona were as well."

"A _wee bit_?" Molly retorted in disbelief.

With a shrug, Kathleen replied, "All right, slightly more than a wee bit. When he settles down, I think he'll probably pretend the magic in our family isn't happening. Like you used to do."

"Right, like I _used_ to," Molly said, a smile on her face. "Not anymore." She wouldn't blame her father for living in his denial, because she remembered how much she lived in hers. And that proved just how far she'd come.

* * *

_What am I doing back here?_

As he tried to keep his panic level down, Jack looked around Medius' empty landscape. His first thought was that this was some kind of nightmare about the fight, which would make sense because it had certainly been one of the most terrifying times of his life. But whatever kind of dream it was, it wasn't a reenactment of real events. His mother and sister weren't there…and neither was an overwhelming sense of dread in his chest.

The flashback to that battle brought up the memory of his father saying good-bye to them. And then Jack understood.

"Dad?" he called while he walked around. "Dad? Are you here?"

In response, not one, but two figures emerged from the purple mist. Jack didn't move until he could clearly see that one man, like he'd expected, was his father. But the other made him freeze with shock. Although, given his recent dreams, he supposed he should have expected this too. "Jerrard, right?"

The figure dressed in a suit of armor, minus the helmet, nodded. "It is an honor to meet you, Sir Jack," Jerrard replied, his head bowed.

Though he should have been honored, Jack couldn't quite take it seriously. Especially since he kept remembered that the last time he was called that, he'd been only acting as a knight. And not a very skilled one either, despite Fi's insistence that he'd fought a dragon. "Likewise. I don't know about 'Sir' Jack, though," he said. "It's not like I put on some armor and went off to defend the king."

"You defended what you believed in, didn't you?" Jerrard argued. "That's what matters."

Rick nodded in agreement. "He's right, Jack. You fulfilled part of your destiny when you fought alongside your family. You were always meant to be their protector."

"They don't really needed me to do much protecting," Jack said. He wasn't particularly bitter or upset about that…it was just a truth he'd realized during the battle, when he saw his sister fight off dozens of demons. "They can take care of themselves."

"Maybe. But as much power as they have, you three are a team now," Rick said, with a pointed look at his son. "They will need you many times in the future."

The confirmed suspicion made Jack groan. He'd been wondering, and sincerely doubting, if the battle against Cael was his last fight against evil. As much as he said he was only helping the one time, he knew that was a load of crap. He knew the second his family was threatened again, he'd be jumping in to trying and save them. How could he not, when he'd seen the forces that they would be up against? "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "I kind of figured that anyway."

"Before I leave, Sir Jack, I must convey my sincere gratitude," Jerrard said, his hand held out for Jack to shake. "Cael's death has been awaited for centuries."

Jack tried to remember modesty as he shook the knight's hand. "Well, I had help." Then he paused when the understanding hit him. "W-when you…and Thea…went to fight Cael…you didn't come back, did you?"

"Neither of us did," Jerrard confirmed with a solemn nod. Then he added, "As I said, this has been awaited for centuries. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jack replied. Then both he and his father watched as Jerrard walked off and disappeared. "This demon…he's caused pain and suffering for hundreds of years," he remarked to his father. "I just…I can't even explain how I feel about that, other than to say it really pisses me off. Like death was too good for Cael. I wish I could have made him endure what he's put mortals through."

"He is, where he is now," Rick assured him. "In a way, that anger is good, Jack. It's what will drive you to do everything in your power to make sure that your mother and Fi are safe. Be careful, though, as your anger may blind you to reason."

About to simply let the words sink in, Jack realized something else. "That's what you were doing in the car that night, wasn't it? Trying to get to Medius. When he somehow reached you first."

Shame in his eyes, Rick only looked down and shook his head. "Not now." Then he turned to his son and pleaded, "Jack…I realize this is a lot to ask of you. But your power is yours for a reason. I promise you there won't be nearly as much as your mother and sister. It would just be enough to tap into for a last resort…"

"No, Dad," Jack protested. He was willing to fight again. But power…that was another matter. "I don't want to be different for the rest of my life. I don't want visions. I don't want _anything_. I'll do what it takes to keep my family safe. But that's _it_."

"But your power is what will help you protect your family! This will never go away, Jack," Rick argued, frustration in his voice. "Your mother and sister will always be witches. Evil will always be after them. Magic will help you in battle. Even if you don't cast a single spell, it's a part of you. Like an extra sense." He paused. "Son, please. Understand that the minimal everyday effect your power will have…is worth being able to use it when you really need it."

Unfortunately, his father's passionate speech was having its desired effect. The guilt trip was working. Jack had to admit that the argument made more sense than the reasoning he had against unlocking his powers. Really, he was being selfish by suppressing something that might help him fight off a demon. Something that might make sure that demon never hurt anyone else, ever again. He supposed he'd known that all along, but never wanted to see his own thin reasoning against his power for what it was – being a coward.

And he wasn't a coward. He was a knight.

"Fine," Jack grumbled. "I'll look into it. I'm not making any promises though."


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Watch out, Jack!" Fi exclaimed. Then she barely held back a giggle when her brother crashed into his open bedroom door. She just about lost it when, confused, he waved his arms around for a second before holding on to his desk chair. And since he only turned down her offer of guiding him by the arm because of pride, she didn't feel bad about the laughter at all.

His eyes still closed, he snapped, "Some help you are. A seeing-eye dog would probably be better at this than you."

"Well, I said 'watch out'! Given how your sense of hearing is right now, you definitely should have heard me."

Fi had been happily shocked when Jack announced that he wanted to unlock his power. In the week after the battle, she and her mother had been able to tell that Jack was struggling something, but they couldn't figure out what it was. Sure, he was still in some pain from the injury, but from the various expressions he'd made when he didn't think they were looking, they could conclude that it was more of a problem he'd been trying to figure out. At first, they thought he was understandably going through some emotional trauma from fighting the demon, and so, left him to his thoughts.

But then he surprised both of them when the night before the celebration dinner, he finally told them that he wanted his power. He'd confessed that a dream visit from his father helped him along with his decision, though he'd already been considering it. However, Jack had been quick to insist that this didn't mean he was fully accepting magic. He just wanted to make sure he could use his power as back up the next time they went into battle.

Or so he claimed. Fi knew she would break him eventually. If she could convert her mother, then she could definitely take Jack on.

Not today, though. At the moment they were trying to get Jack downstairs, since people were starting to arrive for the dinner Kathleen had made in the Phillips' kitchen. Kathleen had been horrified to find that they only had take out food for a send off dinner, so she'd decided to make her famous Beef Wellington to make up for it.

At first Molly had been opposed to the trouble of a formal dinner, especially when it would involve her mother taking over the kitchen most of the day. But Molly had quickly changed her tune at Kathleen's entrée suggestion. And no one else had even thought to protest.

Because they'd only done the spell last night, Jack was still suffering much like Fi had. His sight and hearing were particularly sensitive. Not the best condition in which to attend a party, but since the dinner was partly in his honor, he was making the effort. Though he was having some difficulty due to his refusal to open his eyes, for fear of the shock of flooding light from the hallway.

"Come on, Jack, just open your eyes already. You're not going to get anywhere like that," Fi argued. "Especially if you don't let me _help you_."

But Jack stubbornly shook his head. "I can do it. Just…tell me if I'm facing the door."

With a roll of her eyes, even though her brother couldn't see it, she snatched a pair of sunglasses from his desk and put them on him. "Here, use these. Open your eyes…" When Jack looked like he might argue, Fi insisted, "Just for a minute. If it's still too bright, you can close them again."

"Fine." He did so, blinked even with the shades, but finally nodded. "That _is_ a little better."

"Imagine that. One of _my_ suggestions worked," Fi retorted. He glared at her, and the two went out into the hallway to go down to dinner. They arrived in the kitchen to find Kathleen, with Molly, Irene…and Nora assisting with meal preparations.

Stunned, Fi stopped, Jack close behind her. "Who is that?" he whispered to his sister.

Instead of responding, she rushed into the kitchen, confusion on her face. "Nora? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Nora assured her as she hugged Fi in greeting. "I just wanted to congratulate you and your family in person. I thought I'd only pop in with Kathleen, but your mother invited me to dinner." A smile was on her face at the mention of the invitation.

Fi smiled as well. Nora and Molly hadn't gotten along well in the past, so it was a huge sign of forgiveness on Molly's part. "That's great! Glad you're here!" she said sincerely. Then she pulled bewildered Jack beside her. "Nora, this is my brother, Jack. Jack, this is Grandma Kathleen's friend from Ireland. She's a witch too."

"Uh, hi," he said as Nora hugged him.

As they parted, Nora paused and gave him a thoughtful glance. "You've recently unlocked your power, haven't you? Judging by the sunglasses, I say fairly recently."

"Yup. Yesterday, actually…and could everyone do me a favor and not talk so loud?" he pleaded.

Molly glanced at her son with sympathy. "Jack, how are you going to stand conversation at the dinner table? Go back upstairs. I'll bring a plate up to you."

"No, no way. Not after all the trouble I went through to get down here," Jack said as he lightly touched his bruised nose. "By the way, anyone got an ice pack?"

Concerned, Irene asked, "Jack, what happened? How did you hurt your nose?"

While embarrassed Jack didn't answer, Fi eagerly answered, "He ran into his door." At Jack's glare, and the others' barely contained laughter, she explained, "He was being a stubborn butthead and refusing my help."

"Whatever, it's fine," he snapped to his sister as his mother handed him an ice pack. "I'm going inside." Then he gave the women a warning glance. "Don't tell Clu or Carey about the door thing." When they only laughed more, he frowned. "Come on, please?"

"Your secret is safe with us, love," Kathleen said as she went over and quickly hugged her grandson. "Now go lie down for a few minutes. Dinner will be ready soon."

After Jack left, the five women started the normal chatter that typically occurred while preparing a meal. All they really had left to do was make sure what they needed was on the table, and that the side dishes staying warm on the stove didn't burn. As Kathleen stirred the mashed potatoes, both Fi and Irene noticed that the witch made the salt shaker to slide on its own across the counter over to her. "I will never get used to magic," Irene muttered with a shake of her head.

As Fi laughed, she noticed something else. "Wait…you didn't use a spell," she said in shock, which brought the attention of Molly and Nora to the conversation. "How did…"

"Practice," Kathleen explained, much to Fi and Molly's amazement. "All witches can eventually cast simple spells without actually speaking them. It's just a matter of concentration."

"Huh, good to know." Fi remarked. She brought some more dishes out to the dining room, and soon enough, the whole group, including Clu and Candy, was seated at the table. Though Clu had just come home the week before, they all agreed the celebration wouldn't be one unless _everyone_ was there.

At the head of the table sat Molly, Fi to her right. Down Fi's side were Candy, Irene, and Ned, then Kathleen at the other end. To Kathleen's right were Nora, Carey, Clu, then Jack on Molly's left. They were a big group, and talk was loud as they all settled into their seats. "Guys, again, please," Jack begged, his hands over his ears. "Not so loud! It hurts!" His eyes, however, had at least adjusted enough where he could take his sunglasses off at the table.

"All right, Jack got wasted last night! Proud of you, bro!" Carey said as he reached over and clapped Jack on the back.

The group roared with laughter while Jack glared at him. "I'll have you humans know that this is the result of a _spell_. Be nice or I'll…have Fi turn you into a toad, or something."

"Hey, you've got your own powers. I don't need to do your dirty work for you," Fi reminded him as she began to load food on to her plate. Everything looked so delicious, especially since it was so rare they got a fancy, home-cooked meal.

They all continued to fill their plates and keep up a constant stream of chatter. When it seemed like they were done, Molly stood and cleared her throat to get their attention. "Excuse me, everyone. But before we eat, I want to say something."

"Molly, I _was_ planning on making a toast," Kathleen assured her.

But Molly shook her head. "No, not a toast. More of an announcement."

"No more surprises, please," Jack groaned.

Clu laughed. "Are you like half-elf or something too?" He paused. "That would be _awesome_, actually."

"No, of…" Molly paused, then glanced at her mother. "The witch thing is it, right?"

Kathleen let out a loud chuckle. "Yes, love. Cross my heart."

"Okay, good," Molly said with a little sigh of relief. "But no, this announcement's not magical…it's musical. For the past few days, Irene, Ned and I have been talking. And…as soon as the CD is released, …we decided it would be good for my career if…I went back on tour."

Stunned, Fi wasn't sure how to feel at first. Sure, when her mother had announced they were ending the tour, she had been extremely against it. But that was when she was still looking for answers, and trying to make contact with her father. Now, she had her answers, and she'd spoken to her father again. She didn't need to search anymore, so in that sense, it might be nice to stay home for a while. Especially since she could see the hurt expression on Candy's face the second Molly made the announcement.

But on the other hand, a part of her truly loved the thrill of being in a new city each week, wondering what would happen there. And since she had her powers, there was bound to be more excitement. If she could help dozens of people before just by herself, it wasn't hard to imagine how much more good she could do with magic.

While Fi had been lost in thought, everyone else seemed to be as well. No one had said a word yet. "Come on, people," Irene demanded as Molly sat back down. "Don't leave us in suspense here."

"Well, I'm up for it!" Carey said with genuine enthusiasm. "I mean, why not? A tour definitely beats playing local gigs."

"And you could play a concert at my college! You've got a lot of fans there," Clu spoke up.

However, Molly was more worried about her children, since she looked back and forth between them. "I'm sorry, guys, I probably should have talked with you about this, but it felt like the right time…"

"No, it's okay Mom. I'm…happy for you," Jack said. At Molly's narrowed eyes, he insisted, "Really! Besides, I could use one last tour across the country before I go to college. It'll be fun."

All eyes then turned to Fi, who glared, "No pressure, right?" she half-joked, then shook her head. "Honestly…" Aware of who was sitting next to her, she gave her best friend an apologetic look. "Candy, I'm sorry, but…"

"It's fine, Fi. I mean it," she replied, though there was a little disappointment in her voice. "Will I miss you next semester? Of course. But you'll be back. And besides…" She grinned. "What's a couple thousand miles between us when you can do that cool instant transport thing?"

"You know, you're right…why didn't I think of that?" Fi replied as everyone laughed. Already, there was one way this tour would be _very_ different.

As the laughter quieted, Ned suggested, "All right, let's dig in, everyone!"

"Hold on, now!" Kathleen interrupted. When everyone groaned, she retorted, "This is a celebration dinner. You can't have a celebration dinner without a proper toast. I'll keep it short, I promise." They all raised their glasses, and Kathleen began, "Congratulations to Molly, Fiona, and Jack. You have brought honor to the O'Sianhans, by finally defeating our enemy, one that has tortured this family for far too long." A tear in her eye, she paused to compose herself. "Words cannot convey how proud I am of you."

Fi also found tears forming but kept them back. Sitting there with everyone she loved around her, celebrating a magical victory…though it might seem cliché, it really did feel like a dream. After years of turmoil, there was calm in her family. No longer would she have to fight for them to listen to what she had to say. That in itself made up for everything she had gone through.

Her gratitude made her stand up as well, glass still raised. "I am too," she said as she looked at her mother and brother. "For…a long time, we fought way too much. It was frustrating, always being told I was imagining things when I _knew_ I wasn't. Today, everyone I love is here at this dinner. And you're all believers. I realize it wasn't easy for anyone, so…I just want to say thank you. For trusting me enough to throw logic out the window and accept that we're all crazy." The light joke made everyone laugh, which gave Fi enough time to wipe away tears. "Now let's eat, before the fanciest meal any of us have had in ages gets cold."

At her words, dinner began. For the length of the meal, talk of witches and magic was put aside in favor of simply enjoying each others' company.


End file.
